The Righteous and the Wicked
by LubthaNiBriste
Summary: Jason Grace had been used to moving around. His father's job often called for it. But, there's something about Manhattan that strikes him as odd. And, with the reappearance of the school's most popular delinquent, he isn't quite sure what to think of his new high school. AU. - Jason/? Thalia/Percy Annabeth/Luke Nico/Rachel - ON SHORT HIATUS.
1. What Started as a Normal Day

**I've decided to try my hand at a new type of AU. High school. I'm not too confident in it, but I'm sure enough to post it in the first place. That's good enough for me. I'm aware that there are several high school AUs that are sort of...blown out, I guess. It's a very popular subject. But, there are some that I've fallen in love with. So I chose to start a new story (okay, not really new; I've been working on it for a while) while waiting for the original first chapter of SOM. It's coming as soon as possible, I swear. In the meantime, I'll be writing this and Kings of Olympus.**

**It's Perlia. I know I need a change of scene, but it fit the story best. Sorry if some things are OC. Chances are, I wrote it like it is for a reason. For example, Hera seems relatively pleasant in this. Warning: She is anything but. **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Jason Grace woke up to the smell of pancakes, which was no surprise to him. His mother, Hera Grace, was nothing if not warm and compassionate. After slinging on his school uniform, consisting of a pair of nice khaki pants and a purple polo, he made his way downstairs and into the dining room. He didn't expect his father to be at the table—Jupiter Grace was always too busy for family time.

"Where's Dad?" he bothered to ask, plopping down in his designated chair. His mother sat a plate down in front of him and he immediately began to dig in. He knew the question was rather pointless, as he already expected the common answer.

"Business trip in the Northeast," she responded. "Either New York or Massachusetts. I can't honestly remember, son."

Her voice was bitter, as if she had something against the Northeast. Jason could sympathize. His father wasn't known for his loyalty, and he was constantly going out of state for his job. Even though Mr. Grace was an entrepreneur of his own wealthy company, he was always traveling. Jason loathed the way his father treated his dear mother. Did her love mean nothing to him? Was he so selfish and terrible that he required the love of several others? What was in the Northeast that was so much more valuable to him than his own wife?

In the back of his mind, Jason knew he shouldn't be so ungrateful. Even though his father was occasionally colder than a winter day in Antarctica, he had the interests of his family in mind. He never did anything solely for the benefit of himself, with the exception of his various affairs.

Finishing his breakfast, Jason allowed his mind to wander. His father was a remarkably strong man, and insanely professional. He was very affluent, and their family lived a life of luxury. Because of their income, Jason was able to attend the best school in the state of San Francisco. He was the star of his football team, and he was dating the most beautiful girl in the sophomore class. Who had it better than him?

Yet…he didn't like attention. He didn't like the pressure. He played sports because he liked to, not because he wanted to be worshipped like some kind of god. As a son of the famous Jupiter, he was expected to be the spitting image of his father and it killed him. He wasn't his father. His older brother Hercules had once told him that he would get used to it. However, he still hadn't adapted. Jason loved his parents dearly, but he felt as if he didn't belong there.

He needed a break. He wanted a moment out of the spotlight.

After brushing his teeth, fixing his cropped blond hair, and collecting his things, Jason kissed his mother goodbye.

"See you after school," he told her, adjusting the straps of his backpack. "Love you, Mom."

Because his father didn't trust him enough to own a car of his own, Jason stood impatiently at the bus stop. Tapping his foot against the grassy ground below, he hadn't noticed the presence of someone else. It wasn't until said someone clapped him on the back that he bothered to turn around. Leo Valdez, his loyal partner in crime, grinned widely.

Leo was a relatively short, but strong, boy. He was of Latino decent, and had moved in with his foster family nearly three years ago. Before then, he had been held at Southbridge Home for Lost Children, a block or so into the bad neighborhood. His mother had died, and because his father had left them years before, the boy had been abandoned. Fortunately, Leo's foster family was rich, and the dark-haired boy lived a within walking distance from Jason.

His trademark goofy smile stretched onto his chapped lips and he embraced the blonde. Jason nearly coughed from the strong scent of gasoline, but returned the hug. Leo enjoyed working with anything from cars to custom machinery, and always carried the smell of a garage everywhere he went.

Leo was a funny, caring friend to have around and Jason was grateful for him in every sense of the word. Even though the blonde's girlfriend obviously didn't approve of the alliance, the teenage boys could care less.

"Hey, man," the Latino greeted. "Ready for the first day of sophomore year?"

Jason gave a friendly smile. "Definitely, man," he said, nodding. "I can't wait to see Reyna, either."

Reyna. The blonde nearly sighed in content. He felt he was the luckiest teenager in the world when he looked at her. His brunette girlfriend appeared to be his exact opposite in certain aspects, but they shared many similarities. He couldn't he happier with her. She wasn't like most girls, which he was thankful for. If she knew what she wanted, she would go after it until she got it, regardless of the obstacles she would be forced to overcome along the way.

Reyna and he had grown up together, both from wealthy families. Her father was constantly on business, as his was, and her mother was a military strategist. She lived a few houses down from him, with her Aunt C.C. He had no idea what the initials stood for, and had never attempted to learn. He figured there was a reason she didn't go by her birth name.

The bus ride to Draven High was boring and long, as usual. A few people he was familiar with, even though he didn't wish to see them, greeted Jason when he stepped off of the school bus. His classes passed by fairly quickly, with still no sight of his girlfriend. He was beginning to grow worried. Was she sick? Why wasn't she at school today? She almost never missed class.

He messaged her in class. After receiving no reply, he was tempted to call her. Deciding against breaking school rules to contact his possibly slumbering girlfriend, he resorted to writing her a note in his Algebra class.

The rest of the day passed by with no sign of her. Sighing, Jason gave up and boarded the bus after his last class. His friends Leo and Dakota sat next to him, as it was a crowded bus. Nearly every student sat three to a seat. The buses were ritzy, nonetheless. The vehicles were definitely high-class, with plenty of legroom and finely furnished leather seats. The windows were huge and crafted of a strong, tinted glass.

Jason pulled at the collar of his polo, spotting his father's Mercedes in the driveway upon exiting the bus. If his father were home early, there would surely be a lecture or two awaiting the blonde. Had his parents discovered the raunchy magazines he was hiding for Dakota? Was he failing one of his classes?

Jason entered his home to see his parents anxiously reclining on the couch.

"Jason, boy," his father called out in that rough, commanding voice of his. "Sit down. Your mother and I have something serious to discuss with you."

Tears streaked his mother's face and the blonde felt his chest rise with worry. What would get his beautiful mom so distressed? Was Grandmother ill again? Did his pet bulldog, Jake die? Were his grades really _that _bad? Sitting down, Jason nervously wiped his sweaty palms on the thighs of his jeans. He cleared his throat, attempting to keep a calm voice when he addressed his parents.

"What's the what?" he asked. "I mean, what seems to be the problem?" he amended, remembering how much his father loathed chitchat. The situation must have been dire. His father wouldn't just leave work for no reason.

"Son…how would you feel about moving to New York?" his mother proposed.

She was insanely motherly, always looking after Jason's feelings and taking caution when it came to making decisions on his part. His father, however, thought more professionally. In Jupiter's eyes, if something benefited a majority of the members of their household, it benefited them all.

Jason swallowed thickly, and opened his mouth repeatedly. He was beginning to look like a dove in the ocean, at a loss of what to do or say next. Should he act the wrong way, he knew he would absolutely drown. His eyes caught the identical hues of his father and he felt all of his resolve slip. He couldn't fight this. If his father were determined to go to the Big Apple, they would be boarding the plane as soon as humanely possible.

"So," the blonde began, eyeing his usually temperamental father cautiously. "What exactly brought this on? Why are we going to move?"

Jupiter Grace cleared his throat, unintentionally worrying his son and asserting his striking dominance. There wasn't a sane man in the world that would dare challenge a man of his stature. When he answered the question, his voice was as domineering and deep as always.

"Business is slow here in San Francisco," he replied. "Castellan International has taken over most of the flight organizations. My airports hold very little weight in California. Over the past week, while I was stationed in New York, golden opportunity presented itself. So, we're moving. Have your bags ready within the next hour."

"Hour?" Jason cried incredulously. "You're giving me an hour to pack my things? Dad! What about Reyna? Leo? Dakota? Hazel? I can't just leave them behind!"

"You can," his father disagreed, "and you will."

"Honey," Mrs. Grace spoke up. "Maybe you're being too harsh on him."

Jupiter turned to fix her with an unwavering stare. "I am not being harsh, Hera. Business is business. We have to move on as soon as possible."

They stared one another down, neither giving in. When Jason was almost positive one of them would start pummeling the other, his mother rose from her seat and dusted off the lap of her dress. She crooked a finger at her son, ushering him to his feet.

"Go on and get packed, darling," she instructed, continuing to eye her husband with something akin to defiance. "Leave your father and I to talk."

His parents were still arguing come the time they were airport bound. As his father exceeded the speed limit, his mother's complaints would grow more heated. Digging his phone from his pocket, he again considered calling Reyna. He decided against it. If she were sick, she certainly wouldn't feel like talking to anyone. Besides, he doubted she would be able to hear him over the sound of his parents fighting.

Sticking his headphones into his ears, he began to drown out his parents. He had few songs on his cell, but he never truly tired of anything. He could listen to the same song for hours. Jason glanced out the window of his father's Mercedes. A landscape of city life passed them by. Thankfully, he had gotten the chance to say goodbye to his good friend Leo. The young mechanic had promised to save up money and fly to visit as soon as he could. Jason smiled. Even though he often loathed his life, he cherished his friends. Most of them were truly good to him.

Frowning, he considered the situation. He'd be going to a new school. He wouldn't know anyone there. He wouldn't have any friends. Gulping, he slowly allowed the popular music to carry his thoughts away. Jason would cross the terrible bridges when he came to them. Worrying about them now was doing nothing but making him sick to his stomach.

* * *

Percy Jackson slammed his locker shut, turning around to face his best friend Grover Underwood. With the exception of Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the curly-haired boy was the only acquaintance he had at Goode High. Clapping his friend on the back, the dark-haired teen flashed a wide smile.

"Hey, man," Percy greeted. "Ready for Coach Wheeler today?"

Grover scoffed. "Never."

After entering their first period English class, they took their seats at the back table. Percy reached into his backpack and dug out his textbook. Grover followed suit. As expected, their friend Rachel arrived thirty minutes after class had started. When she came barging through the classroom door, Mrs. Stewart looked away from her chalkboard to glare at her.

"Miss Dare," the teacher said. "Late again, I see."

"Yes ma'am," the redhead replied, muttering apologies on her way to the back. She sat in between her two best guy friends. Rolling her bright green eyes, she turned to face Percy. "You're late one time and it's the end of the world."

"Uh," Grover cut in, "you're always late."

"Technicalities."

It wasn't until they were at lunch that Rachel broke surprising news to them.

"So, guess who's coming back tomorrow?"

Percy furrowed his dark brows. Did he know anyone that hadn't been attending school recently? Annabeth Chase had been sick with the flu, but he already knew that she would be back tomorrow. Shrugging, he stabbed his plastic fork into his spaghetti.

"Beats me. Who?" he asked.

Rachel's eyes gleamed in the light of the cafeteria. Waiting until she finished chewing, she let out a strange, girlish squeal. Percy snickered to himself. She wasn't the type of girl to go around screaming for no reason. He didn't know who was coming back to school, but he or she must be pretty close with Rachel.

"Thalia."

All noise from the tables around them stopped, curious eyes drifting to them. Percy didn't get what the big deal was. Who was Thalia, and why did her name grasp so much attention from his peers? Because he had just recently moved into Manhattan at the start of the year, he didn't know many people in the area.

Grover refused to meet the anxious gazes of his friends, and instead poked at his tray. "Is that so?" he asked, willing his voice not to crack. "Where did you hear this from?"

Rachel's face was crestfallen. "Uh," she began timidly, which was certainly unlike her. "My father is a friend of Warden Daniels. You know that. He happened to mention it to Dad, and Dad turned right around and told me."

Percy furrowed his brows, clearly displaying his confusion. He couldn't help but feel extremely left out. "Wait…hold up. Who the hell is Thalia?"

Before Rachel could answer him, a beautiful girl—Silena Beaugard—approached their table and smiled warmly at them. Percy had always liked Silena. She was nice and friendly, despite the crowd she spent her time with, and she never had anything mean to say to their group. She cleared her throat to catch the redhead's attention.

"Did you happen to say that Thalia was returning?" the head cheerleader asked, tilting her head to the side.

Rachel nodded in response. "Yeah, actually. She is. She should be here tomorrow."

Silena seemed to process this information before she released a large breath of air and mustered up a grateful smile. "Thank you all," she said, before turning back around and heading over to her friends.

Percy could hear them talking now.

_Thalia is coming back!_

_ Oh, like, no, like, way, like seriously?_

_ Yeah way! _

_ We have to throw a party, like tomorrow or like something!_

_ Totes! I'll decorate the invitations with flowers and puppies and rainbows._

_ But I wanted to, like, do, like, that!_

The raven-haired boy snorted, shaking his head at his thoughts. There were few cheerleaders at Goode who actually behaved that way, but he knew there would most certainly be a party. He hoped to every god ever mentioned that he wouldn't feel obligated to attend. He always felt awkward at parties. While other teens danced around and drunk until they were stumbling and throwing up in the rose garden, he chilled out on the couch anxiously. He sort of doubted that he would be invited to anything in the first place. He wasn't exactly popular.

"Thalia," the redhead began, seeking to answer her friend's earlier question. "Well, to be honest, I don't know what exactly you're looking for here. A description, a background. Give me something to work with here, P.J."

The teenage boy shrugged. "Dude, I don't know. Just explain who the hell Thalia is."

Her reluctance to answer his question was bothering him, even though he refused to let it show. He never wanted his impatience to rear its ugly head and scare off the little amount of friends he had at the miserable high school.

Rachel sighed, as if not knowing where to start. "Thalia is older than us. She's about seventeen, I think—a junior. A few years ago…yes, it must have been in middle school, she was placed into juvenile confinement on suspicious charges. Sometime in December."

"Suspicious charges?" Percy echoed, eyebrows rising to his hairline. "Any ideas about what these charges were?"

"It's classified," his friend Grover supplied. "And I doubt someone would survive very long after asking Thalia herself."

"Oh, hush," the redhead commanded. "Thalia wouldn't hurt us."

"Correction: she wouldn't hurt _you_," the brown-haired boy said. "Remember that time she threatened me in seventh grade, telling me she would shove her boot so far down my throat—"

"That you would bite your pancreas," Rachel finished with a roll of her bright green eyes. "Yes, Grover. I remember. Everyone remembers. We still laugh about it at parties."

Grover blushed, but huffed in irritation. "My point exactly. She would kick my ass just for looking at her the wrong way."

Percy released a shaky laugh. "Wow. She sounds…pleasant."

Rachel took a long sip from her chocolate milk. "She is, actually. It's not her fault that she has—_had _problems with her temper. I'm sure she's resolved them all while in confinement. She really is sweet, Percy. You just have to get to know her."

Percy forced himself to smile. "Let's hope as much, shall we? I really don't need any more enemies around here. Nancy, Matt, Clarisse, and the rest of their gang are still out to get me."

Rachel snorted in derision. "Are you kidding me? Percy, you've been feuding with them since the beginning of the year. They're pitiful. All they want is to provoke violence. Frankly, it's rather insulting. Don't let them get to you."

Percy stabbed his food. "You don't understand," he claimed. "I'm not like you. I can't bounce right back up, dust myself off, and walk away like nothing ever happened."

"You're too prideful," she accused.

Grover made an unintelligible sound in the back of his throat. "You know what this means, right?"

Percy frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Thalia's return."

His two friends shot him confused looks. Rachel raised her brows. "No. What does this mean?"

The curly-haired teen chewed his food rather loudly. "We have to tell Nico."

Nico di Angelo, a freshman, was a close friend of Rachel's. The young Italian boy had a brooding look about him, but he was friendly towards individuals he was familiar with. Even though he was usually about his own and preoccupied with his own life, Grover constantly made sure to keep the boy updated on issues circulating throughout their group.

"Speak of the devil," Grover said with a smile, watching as the aforementioned teenager sat down next to Rachel. "We were just talking about you, man."

Nico hummed quietly, a low gruff sound. "Is that so?" he asked absentmindedly.

Rachel nodded enthusiastically, flashing a brilliant smile. The boy, surprisingly, let a small smirk slip through.

Percy chewed the rest of his food. "Aren't you curious?" he joked lightly.

Nico pretended to think for a while. Shaking his head and revealing a false smile, he said, "Nope." He cleared his throat, his face sobering instantly. "So, what's this all about?"

Grover leaned forward in excitement. "Thalia is coming back."

"The Thalia that was kicked out three years ago? The junior?" the boy asked, uninterested.

Rachel nodded. "That's the one. I wonder if they'll make her redo her school years."

Grover shook his head. "No, the center she went to would've made her take classes. She's a junior."

"All I know is that she was placed into secure confinement," the redhead added in. "Warden Daniels said that they are considering residential monitoring and placing her in boot camp if she breaks parole. Some nonsense about behavior modification."

"Correction camp?" Percy asked. "Wouldn't they send her to prison?"

Nico shook his head. "She's not going to turn eighteen until after her parole ends, so it wouldn't apply later on. She's only sixteen."

Percy frowned. "How do you know?"

"Common sense," the boy replied, shrugging. "My sister Bianca was friends with her, and she tells me a lot about her. Her birthday is in December, I'm pretty sure. Seeing as she couldn't possibly have a very long parole, that aren't likely to throw her in prison."

_December, _Percy thought gloomily. She had spent her birthdays in jail.

Grover snickered. "Your sister knows everything about everyone."

Rachel nodded in agreement. "She does. It's absolutely terrifying."

Percy faked a gasp. "Hold up," he joked. "Rachel, Queen of Horror, finds someone else terrifying?"

The redhead tensed in defense. "Hey! I find plenty of things scary."

Nico gave a careless shrug. "No, you kind of don't."

Hours later, Percy was making his way down the street towards the apartment he shared with his mother and her grotesque husband. He refused to call Gabe Ugliano his stepfather. Gabe was a disgusting man, and the farthest definition of a father.

Often, Percy wondered about his birth father. If his dad were with him now, would he be proud? The teen shook his head sadly. His dad had gone missing in action while serving in the Navy. There was no use dwelling on the impossible.

As he passed a shoddy neighborhood of sorts, his attention was immediately drawn to one in particular. A young child was playing in the yard while his father was burning leaves. Smoke rose into the sky, much more than Percy thought logical. The smell filled the air, invading his nostrils. He didn't mind too much. Fire had never really bothered him, although he definitely preferred water.

It was a few minutes before he finally arrived home, and upon entering the house his eyes caught sight of a shirtless Gabe, digging into a big bowl of chips and yelling at the television screen. Attempting not to make a noise, he slowly snuck around the back of the couch and dashed into his bedroom when his mother's husband was looking the other way. He wasn't scared of Gabe; he just didn't wish to deal with him.

Percy had experienced a tiring day, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in his sheets and go to sleep. However, the realization dawned on him that he couldn't. First and foremost, he had to discover whether or not Thalia really was coming back to Goode. He didn't care if she did, necessarily. But, he wanted to make sure that the information was completely true. Although he didn't believe Rachel would ever lie about something of that importance, it never hurt to be sure.

Besides, he couldn't help his curiosity. He had to admit, if only to himself, that the thought of the girl intrigued him. The tales he had already heard about her weren't helping in the least. He couldn't fight off the urge to learn more about her.

Walking over to his desktop computer, he pulled the chair out and took a seat. After flexing his fingers, he turned it on and waited for the old system to boot up. It wasn't like his family had the money to spend on luxuries like top-of-the-line laptops.

Once he logged in, Percy opened his browser and searched the official website of the Roosevelt Country Juvenile Rehabilitation Institution. Rachel had mentioned earlier in the day that it was the name of the place Thalia was being released. It took a while of searching, but eventually he stumbled across the older brunette's profile. His eyes scanned the web page, willing himself to read everything—including the secret charges pressed against her.

**Thalia Alcaeus Grace**

**(DOB: December 22****nd****, 1988)**

What kind of name was Alcaeus? Were her parents hippies? Percy shook his head at himself. He turned his attention back to the computer screen in front of him.

**In order to ensure the privacy of minors in custody, any medical (mental or physical) conditions are not openly presented or announced on this website. For further information on resident juveniles, visitors or relatives are welcomed to call the Roosevelt Juvenile Rehabilitation Institution at—**

Percy stopped reading the paragraph. He didn't want their phone number. He didn't want to contact the place. He wanted information, and he was going to get it online. Gabe or his mother may get suspicious if he asks to use the telephone, as he has no cell of his own.

When he spotted more information on Thalia, he leaned forward in anticipation.

**Guardian: Seraphina Marshall (DOB: February 13****th****, 1969)**

No other guardians were listed anywhere on the page.

**Race: Caucasian/European**

**Sex: Female**

**Hair Color: Black**

**Eye Color: Blue**

**Height: 6'0"**

The raven-haired teen ran a hand tiredly over his face. Usually, he would find the above information excessive and unnecessary. He didn't want to risk skipping through any more information, though. He feared he would accidentally miss something that he would find relevant.

**Scars, Marks, or Tattoos: **

**Information not available. **

**Juvenile Sentence History: **

**Petty theft, suspicious gang activity—**

Percy forced himself to look away from the list of offences and instead focused on the section below it. He felt his chest swell in worry.

**Release Date: 8/23/06**

Yesterday. Thalia had been released the day before.


	2. Welcome Home

**Sooner than most of my updates, yes. I am almost done with the third chapter of this story, as well. This is just a little insight into the mysterious Thalia, and a short section at the end in relation to Jason arriving in New York.**

**Thank you all for your reviews, and feedback is encouraged.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the clothes on my back. Unless I'm getting in the shower or something; then I guess I don't own a damn thing. **

* * *

"What?" the dark-haired girl asked in surprise, her wide gaze traveling up to see a burly police officer.

She abruptly looked up from her lounging position on the top bunk, bringing a hand up to run through her short black hair. Considering the officer's words again, she released a shock breath of air.

"All of your papers cleared through," the officer repeated bitterly, obviously not satisfied. "You've served your time here, kid. If I had it my way, you'd rot in here. But old, wrinkly Judge Maddox seems to think you're no longer a threat to society. I say you're a bloody mental case."

The teenage girl sat up fully. Her uniform gray outfit strained with the movement, but she hurriedly smoothed the coarse material. "That's it? Just like that, I'm free to go? Why wasn't I informed ahead of time?"

The officer—Officer Faircloth, she recognized—grunted. "Unfortunately," he answered. "What, you think we owe you a service, kid? One more year in here, and you might have been shipped off to prison."

She didn't let his stinging words get to her. Even though she wasn't happily expecting a supportive family outside of the juvenile facility, she was glad to be leaving the absurd place. Although Officer Faircloth was certainly a piece of work, nearly everyone else running the facility treated the juveniles with kindness. Even the center's anger management therapist wasn't so bad. She would know that firsthand.

After collecting her belongings and being interviewed by the warden, she was released. The brunette wandered the streets, searching for a bus station of some sort. She wasn't familiar with the west side of Manhattan, or any other side for that matter. Being from Brooklyn originally, she didn't take the time to memorize directions. Her hometown was huge, and she had never bothered to learn streets. Even when she had lived in Detroit for a short time, she hadn't taken the time to study the roads.

Upon exiting the block, she came face-to-face with her mother's ex-boyfriend. Thankfully, it happened to be the only friendly boyfriend her mother had ever had. Daren Pike grinned, offering her a hand to shake. She quickly accepted.

"Nice to see you again, kiddo," he said. "How's your ma doin'?"

"No earthly idea," she answered honestly.

Daren laughed, throwing his head back. After a few more friendly words were exchanged, he walked off into another direction. She continued her walk, digging her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. Despite the fact that she was dressed in a long sleeve thermal shirt, and wearing a warm jacket and jeans, the bitter wind chilled her skin.

The girl thought of her mother. The bleach-blonde was probably at home on the couch, nursing her third bottle of Chateau Timberlay, and watching reruns of her own soap opera. Her mother was quite pitiful, really.

Tugging her leather jacket more firmly around herself, the teenager shivered. Snow had begun to fall, and it didn't look like it was going to stop soon.

Fortunately, she had thought to ask Daren for directions before they had parted. She knew exactly where she was going, his words still fresh and ringing in her mind. Despite her excitement over being let free, she had no desire to go home any time soon. It wasn't like her mother would be joyous upon seeing her delinquent daughter at the doorstep.

Manning up and renouncing her nerves, she walked all the way to her mother's ritzy apartment. Pulling open the first set of double doors, she began to walk up the winding stairs. Stopping in front of apartment 1-E, she knocked on the door. She heard the sounds of someone stumbling around and dropping a glass bottle. Her mother was already drinking. That was certainly wonderful.

Thalia Grace sighed heavily. Home sweet home.

The door slung open, and the teenager found herself face-to-face with a tall blonde woman. A half-empty bottle of wine nearly dripped from the woman's grip, but the dark-haired girl quickly reached out and caught it with ease. She moved the pad of her thumb to cover the top of the bottle and brushed the woman aside in order to enter the apartment.

"Hey, baby," the woman slurred, following her daughter into their living room. "Momma missed you so much."

Thalia slung her bag to the side and took a seat on the couch, making herself comfortable. The blonde sat down next to Thalia and began to pepper wet, sloppy kisses on the girl's cheek. Thalia grimaced. She preferred her mother beating her black-and-blue to babying her like a small child.

Edging herself slowly away, she set the bottle on the coffee table. The teen didn't see how her mom could drink wine. It left a bad taste, and it wasn't anything compared to scotch or tequila. Not that she would know anything about that, of course.

Thalia kicked off her combat boots and tucked them under the coffee table. When her mother was sober, she'd be punished for it. She wished she could bring herself to care.

"Missed you, too, Ma," she muttered.

Her sensitive ears perked up at the sound of someone shifting around in her mother's bedroom. Her bright blue eyes scanned the sections of the apartment that were within her sight, searching for signs that someone else had been there recently. She stood quickly, ignoring her mom's requests for her to settle down.

"Lia, please," her mother grumbled, wrapping a hand around her daughter's arm.

Thalia roughly pulled away and headed further into the apartment, suspicion apparent on her face. "Who's here?" she asked her mother briskly, not bothering to slow her pace.

"No one!"

The dark-haired teen marched directly into her mother's room, mentally rewarding herself for not kicking the door in. Her eyes hurriedly searched the king size bed, frustrated to find that it was vacant. She had heard someone. She knew she had!

After all the trouble she had been through for her irresponsible mother, she wasn't about to put up with any of the blonde's tendencies any longer. She was determined to put a stop to everything—the promiscuity, the drugs, the partying. She would let drinking slide. Alcohol made her mom somewhat tolerable.

Thalia couldn't believe her mother hadn't attempted to reform anything about her unfortunate life. After seeing her own daughter hauled off to a juvenile center, she should have been inspired to get her stuff together. On the contrary, she had never ceased indulging in her old ways.

The teenager would've taken the time to roll her eyes if she weren't so busy angrily searching the bedroom. Her mother walked into the room to see her daughter throwing clothes and pillows around in rage. The blonde slowly approached, making sure to keep her distance. The woman may have been drunk, but she was sane enough to realize Thalia was too enraged to bother reasoning with.

Thalia felt her mother's gaze on her, but she paid no attention to it. She flipped the bed sheets back and checked for any distinct indentions in the mattress. Spotting the promising figure of a male, she turned on her mother madly.

"Where is he?" she asked darkly, too blind from her anger to realize she probably shouldn't have been demanding something of her tipsy mother.

Her mother chuckled bitterly. "Oh, he's long gone. They never stay long, darling."

Thalia gritted her teeth, clenching her fists. She slowly neared her mom, taking care to appear as calm as she possibly could. The blonde, despite her habit of being a flimsy and abusive drunk, had always been frightened of her daughter's anger.

"You will have no one over," the teen asserted. "Not in my house. If I find out you fucked some loser, I'll hunt him down and beat the living shit out of him. Do I make myself clear?"

To the teen's surprise, the woman had the audacity to scoff. "Welcome home, baby. I had missed your domineering attitude."

Before Thalia could respond with an equally scathing comment, her mother spun on her heel and nearly stumbled out of the room, mumbling under her breath.

"Just like your fuckin' father…every single part of you."

The teenager fought off the urge to run after the woman and pound her face in. The quickest way to piss her off was to mention her dead-beat no-show dad. At least her mom had possessed the decency to date her father before conceiving her. It wasn't like the blonde to maintain an actual relationship. Thalia couldn't disapprove of her flightiness without sounding hypocritical, as she wasn't exactly a relationship girl either.

She remembered seeing her father once, when she was a baby. She couldn't recall exactly what he looked like, but she knew from her mother's drunken fits that she resembled him greatly. Thalia didn't know whether or not she should have felt honored or disgusted. It's not like she would ever get the chance to meet a father figure of any kind.

Thalia chose to check on her younger sister. Nevaeh Marshall was a toddler, and her half-sister. One of her mother's one-night-stands had accomplished the seemingly impossible task of knocking the woman up, and didn't wish to stick around to take care of his daughter. Thalia could only pray that Nevaeh had been taken care of during her absence. Their mother wasn't exactly responsible.

Her mind flashed to the image of a blonde baby boy, with eyes identical to her own. An old photograph she had found in some of her mother's forgotten belongings portrayed said boy, cradling a child's cup. Thalia saw herself in the photo, although she was a year or two older than the blonde. On the other hand, she had always been relatively tall, even at a young age. There was no telling how far apart the two of them had been in age.

For as long as she could remember, she had been haunted with the memory. It would not have been so frustrating if she knew who the boy was. Was he a sibling? Thalia snickered, shaking her head. She would know if she had another sibling. She would have remembered something like that. Two questions bothered her above every other crazy thing in her life. Who was he? Why couldn't she forget him?

Thalia creaked open the door to Nevaeh's room, surprised to see the girl resting. The three-year-old was a hyperactive child, and loathed taking naps. How had her mother gotten the toddler to sleep? The brunette quietly weaved her way toward the small bed, halting abruptly when she noticed an empty bottle resting on the nightstand. Nighttime cold medicine. She sighed in frustration. She should have suspected as much.

The juvenile carefully seated herself on the edge of the bed, fingering the soft strands of black hair that splashed across the pillows. Nevaeh snuggled closer to her older sister's hand, causing the taller girl to smile. The little girl was so innocent that it was cute. Thalia would regret the day that the toddler grew up and realized their mother was an irresponsible twat.

"Lia?"

"Hey, kid," the brunette greeted her younger sister. "How ya feeling?"

"You're back!" Nevaeh cried suddenly, drowsiness fading from her voice. She jumped from her bed and leaped into her sister's arms, clinging to her neck. "I am good. Momma has a friend over, so I went to sleep."

"Good girl," Thalia murmured. "Remember what I said about Momma's friends, don't cha?"

"Stay away!"

"That's right," the brunette said, ruffling the girl's hair. "Did you take any medicine?"

"Not want to," Nevaeh answered in her youthful lisp. "Momma said I was sick."

Thalia chuckled bitterly. "You ain't the one that's sick."

The younger brunette suddenly grew a droll expression. She straddled her sister's lap completely and began to bounce excitedly. "I go to school!"

"You're three," Thalia pointed out. "No you don't, goober."

"I do soon!"

"You _will _soon," the older corrected. "In a couple years, probably. Depends on if Ma starts you early."

"Early?"

"Yeah, something you and me will never be," Thalia joked. "Don't worry about it, babe. You'll start soon enough. Trust me, you're going to wish you hadn't grown up so fast."

Nevaeh grinned toothily; the adorable gap between her two front teeth a prominent feature of her smile. "I wanna be big, like you!"

"No, you really don't."

Nevaeh began to frown. "I don't?"

Thalia felt the need to quickly retract her statement. "Well, maybe you do. Didn't mean it that way, Vaeh," she explained, tossing out her sister's favorite nickname. "I just know I regret being my age."

"Why?" the little girl pried, unable to help her curiosity.

The brunette shrugged innocently, although she knew exactly why she loathed being her age. She missed being naive and clueless, unaware of her mother's unbecoming habits, believing her father would return any day. She couldn't count how many days she had sat on the steps of their large front porch, waiting for a father who would never show up.

"You never realize what all you miss out on when you're waiting to grow up," the older girl tossed out, even though she knew the younger girl wouldn't completely understand.

"Thalia?" a husky voice called from the doorway.

The girls looked up to see their mother, clad in a knee-length red silk robe. "You can drive the SUV to school and back from now on," she announced, her thick Brooklyn accent clear. "You have to pick Nevaeh up from daycare when you get out of class."

Thalia knew there had to be another condition. Knowing her reckless mother, the teenager automatically assumed the woman had purchased another vehicle. She wasn't going to complain, though. The brunette loved her younger sister, and her mother's older car was nice. Admittedly, it wasn't very old. It was from the previous year.

"All right," the juvenile said, nodding.

"Why don't you go and pick up something for dinner?"

"Now?" the teen questioned.

Her mother scoffed in annoyance, but nodded. Placing a hand on her well-defined hip, she cocked her stance to the side. "They give you all of your things back?"

Thalia didn't particularly feel like talking to her mother so soon after an argument, but she chose to answer. "Yeah."

"Good, so I ain't gotta give you cash," her mother grumbled, spinning around and leaving her daughters to themselves.

Thalia sighed, but stood. She led Nevaeh into her bedroom. As she began to throw her clothes off, she happened to sniff her attire. Her outfit had a strange smell to it. As much as she loved her leather jacket, she would have to wear something else if she were going out in public.

The teenager made sure her younger sister was sitting peacefully on the bed before she marched over to her closet, beginning to rummage through it. After deciding on a pair of ripped black jeans and a graphic band t-shirt, she hurriedly slipped them on.

She didn't want to waste any time getting ready. She wanted to get food and be back home before late. Maybe she'd even check out new clubs while she was at it. She wouldn't go in, of course. Not yet, at least. She just wanted to see if any new joints had opened up since Reilly's had gone out of business.

Nevaeh pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Can I go with you?"

"You already know the answer, kid," her older sister replied, searching her closet for a suitable jacket.

After finding an old olive green jacket her father had left years before, she strung it on. Thalia had never worn it before; she had previously been too disgusted to. Why would she want to wear something that belonged to a man that had stomped her mother's heart out?

Being imprisoned had changed her. Sure, she would still knock her father's front teeth out upon ever meeting him. But, she no longer cared whether or not she touched anything that belonged to him. It belonged to _her_, now. If he ever wanted it back so bad, he could pry it from her clenched fists.

Thalia fought off a smirk. Like he would even dare encounter her willingly.

The juvenile took longer than expected. It was nearly seven at night and she was wandering around the local grocery store, attempting to decide between spaghetti and manicotti. On one hand, spaghetti was easier to make. On the other, Nevaeh favored manicotti. And there were very few limits to the things Thalia would sacrifice for her younger sister. Deciding on the toddler's favorite, she tossed ingredients into her small cart and made her way towards the cheese.

"_Here's the list, kid! Your mother is at work, slaving her ass off for me, while I sit back and watch sports with a beer in my hand. Why don't you go shopping and attempt to smuggle me more alcohol?_"

Thalia raised a brow in amusement, hearing the poor impression of a thick, grimy accent from some aisle near her. Someone was obviously mad at their father…or whoever. Thalia would have to guess that the male was referring to a father. Shaking her head, she piled the necessary cheeses into her cart before working her way down a random aisle. She had never been to this store before, but it wasn't too difficult to figure out.

"What a lazy pig," she heard the voice again, this time impression-free. "I don't know what Mom sees in that man."

_Oh, a mother's boyfriend, _Thalia amended, realizing the fault in her earlier assumption. Why was this boy acting as a whipping boy for his mother's boy-toy? If anyone tried to make her do that, she would kick their balls into their stomachs.

"_Sally, make me some bean dip, woman!_" the boy mocked again. "Please. She needs to make him up a stack of divorce papers."

She heard the boy turning into the aisle she was in, but didn't pay him any mind. Until he accidentally—she could only hope to convince herself it was an accident; she didn't need to be arrested again—rammed into her, sending the can in her hand flying. With a firm lid on her temper, she swiftly lifted it from the floor and set it back on the shelf.

Thalia eventually turned to face him for the first time.

"I'm so sorry," he was saying, his mouth wide in an apologetic expression, and his eyebrows furrowed in slight concern.

He had one earphone plugged in, and he was listening to one of the older iPods, which was strapped to his arm. He carried a basket full of boxed goods on an arm, and he reached out for her with his free hand. She surprised herself when she failed to flinch from his touch. His warm palm settled on her shoulder, and a wave of uncomfortable static passed between the two of them.

"You're sorry?" she challenged, with a raised brow.

The slightly younger boy nodded, and she looked slightly up at him in defiance. He was only an inch or two taller than her, which was rare. Thalia, at a height of six-foot, found herself towering over most people.

"You ever think about watching where the hell you're going?" she asked again, a threat lingering beneath her nearly serene tone.

"I said I was sorry," he snapped back defensively. "I didn't mean to."

"It wouldn't have happened if you weren't being stupid," Thalia countered.

The teenager in front of her met her fiery eyes, his black hair—almost as dark as hers—falling into his face. In irritation, he swept his bangs away with a hand and shook his head. "What's your problem?"

"Right now?" At his nod, she harshly continued, "You, as a matter of fact. I find you annoying."

"I find _you _annoying."

"I find your face annoying."

_Really, Thalia? Really? _

Percy, obviously trying to refrain from smiling, suddenly burst into laughter. He tossed his head back like a young child, and Thalia couldn't help but notice the way his emerald eyes sparkled in the dim lighting. It was refreshing to say the least. She had been away from enjoyable company for a while, and she had begun to think that she lacked the ability to bring any form of humor to an encounter.

He extended his tan hand, and she surprisingly accepted it. Appallingly, she went as far as to actually _shake_ his hand. "Percy," he introduced. "Percy Jackson. And, you are?"

"Late," she said, checking her invisible wristwatch. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Jack-O-Lantern, but I gotta bounce."

_Jack-O-Lantern? Really? Loser._

Ignoring his calls and shouts, she hurriedly strode her cart to the nearest checkout and purchased her items. As she knew her mother would most likely crave fast food, she decided she would pick some up on the way back. When she didn't see Percy following her any longer, as she strolled out of the store, she figured that he had remembered his own items and left her alone. She had never been one for meeting new people.

* * *

By the time Jason and his family exited the new Grace International Airport, the teenager was about ready to pass out. Thankfully, or rather unthankfully now that he really thought about it, his father was known to speed so they would arrive to their new home soon. His mother attempted to soothe his anxiety by lovingly ruffling his hair, but he merely moved away from her and climbed into the backseat of his father's car.

Hera sighed irritably before sliding into the passenger seat. When Jupiter settled into the driver's seat, they immediately shot off towards their new residence. Jason frowned. He had to get home and phone Reyna as soon as physically possible. He knew she was going to be angered. He definitely _wasn't _looking forward to that discussion. He would be lucky if she even wanted to be with him after all of this.

"What am I going to do?" he murmured to himself in aggravation, thankful that his parents were too busy ignoring each other to bother listening to him. "I'm going to hate it here."

_Only time will tell._


	3. Grace and Grace

**A/N: Not much to say in this author's note, except that Piper will be in the story later...just not in this chapter. Even though she is mentioned, her appearance will not be made known until a few chapters from now. **

**Also, ****Zoë** Nightshade seems sort of OC in a way, but I had to create a sort of animosity between her and Thalia. But, of course, (as I love **Zoë**) she will not remain this way. Didn't mean to offend any Nightshade fans out there, as I am one myself.

**Without further ado, here is chapter three. **

**Disclaimer: Will never own it.**

* * *

The next day at Goode was nothing short of stressful. Tension was nearly palpable in the air, and three new students were being entered in the school's system, so there was no way of avoiding the gossip. Talk of the return of Thalia, the emergence of two new students, and the pizza being served during lunch littered the hallways. Although, admittedly, there were some who either kept their mouths shut or had no idea about the gossip.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare scanned the front entrance, leaning back against her pale burgundy locker. She may not have been the most popular girl in school, but she was the most social, and she wanted to be the first to greet Thalia and two new kids.

Thalia. The redhead knew more about the teenager than most others did, but she had only ever spent time with the brunette at parties. The former juvenile had been a party animal, and part of Rachel prayed that the girl still enjoyed going out and living it up. After all, while Rachel had never been one for drinking or illegal activity, Thalia had always managed to make parties extremely fun.

There were some downsides to Thalia's bad reputation, however. Underage substance abuse had been one of the major reasons the dark-haired girl's record was tarnished with misfortune, and the redhead hoped that much had changed.

There was no room for irresponsibility anymore. The new principal—Mr. Frederic Chase—had upped the school's intolerance for delinquency. Even though he was a nice guy, and Annabeth's father, he wasn't to be taken lightly. Rachel guessed Thalia would be in trouble by the end of the week, if she were anything like she had been before.

While Thalia had been popular among a rather _poor_ group of individuals, there were plenty of students in Goode that loathed her guts. The people who weren't busy fearing that she would snap and kill on of them, appeared as if they wished to bring a fight to her.

One clique in particular—the Virtuous Ones, consisting of Zoë Nightshade, Bianca di Angelo, and Phoebe Huntsman along with some others—made it their mission to spread nasty rumors about the juvenile's return and deter students away from her. Bianca, of course, hadn't done any of the aforementioned deeds. The di Angelo's were a relaxed pair, and usually stayed away from drama.

When a head of blonde hair passed her, she quickly reached out and latched herself onto the girl's arm.

"Annabeth!" Rachel said in surprise. "Glad you're back. How are you feeling?"

"Still sick," the other girl admitted, her voice slightly deeper than normal. "What about you, Rach?"

"Oh, I'm doing delightful," the redhead chimed. "Have you heard the news?"

"What news?"

"Yeah, give us the 4-11," a huskier voice sounded from behind them.

Rachel refrained from answering, a wide grin lighting up on her face. How had the girl managed to slip past them?

"Thalia!" she cried, spinning around to face the teenager in question. "Goodness, you've gotten even taller!"

And, she most certainly had gotten taller. She towered over Rachel and Annabeth, and the both of them were a little above average height. Thalia's stark obsidian hair was a little longer, just above her shoulders, but it was still slightly curly and framed her face in her trademark boyish fashion. Her dimples formed proudly, as a bright smile emerged and split her full lips. Her cerulean eyes, though desolate, sparkled like ambrosial pearls in their sockets.

"Hey, Rae," the blue-eyed junior said, smirking. Her gaze turned to the blonde girl and she gave a swift nod of her head. "Annie."

Annabeth scoffed, reaching up to slap Thalia's shoulder. "Oh, give me a hug, you big goof."

"Goof?" Thalia repeated, obviously offended. "I am not a goof! You're so abusive."

Nonetheless, the juvenile pulled the other girl into a tight embrace. Rachel, of course, couldn't help but offer one of her own afterwards. Even after years of being way, Thalia still smelled of peppermint and men's deodorant—an odd combination, to say the least. She was pretty sure the junior didn't even wear men's deodorant.

Before long, nearly everyone in the hallway was observing them, and very few of them bothered to hide their curious glances.

Thalia ran a hand through her hair and heaved a frustrated sigh. "I hope it isn't like this all day."

Rachel laughed, and Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Just remember," the blonde said. "You make it through today, and the rest of the week will be over before you know it."

"It's Tuesday."

Rachel could only imagine the troubles Thalia would surely encounter throughout the rest of the week. Most of the trouble would surely come from Zoë and Phoebe.

"Yeah, you're screwed," the redhead cut in. "What classes do you have?"

Thalia had the nerve to flush pink before she shoved her hands into the pockets of her black jeans. "I don't know," she answered. "Haven't picked up my schedule yet."

"Damn it, Thalia," Annabeth groaned. "So unprepared. Go! Go get your freaking schedule. If we don't have any classes with you, meet up with us at lunch."

The dark-haired teen rolled her eyes, adjusting the hem of her bleached jean jacket. She turned and walked off towards the office, nearly pushing a wandering freshman out of her way.

Rachel whistled lowly. "Hurricane Thalia is nearing the east coast."

Annabeth playfully shoved her. "So, who are these other two students that I keep hearing about?"

"One of them is named Jason," the redhead supplied. "Don't know anything else about him. The other one is Piper McLean."

The blonde wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like a bitch."

Rachel shrugged. "We won't know until we meet her. You didn't like me either when we first met, if I recall correctly."

Annabeth turned pink. "That's when I was dating Percy, and that only lasted a month."

The redhead snickered. "Now you got your eyes on Mr. Castellan."

The blonde swatted her. "Whatever," she scoffed. "So, where's this new kid?"

A head of dark hair appeared beside them. Nico di Angelo smirked at the two of them, going as far as to pat Rachel on the back. "He's heading through the door right now," he announced. "Look alive."

Chatter continued to ring through the hallways, even when the new kid finally entered through the double doors. Although they were a great distance away, Rachel could make out the color of his eyes; a deep sapphire she had only ever seen in one other pair of eyes. She guessed he was quite handsome.

He wasn't really her type, per say—she preferred brunettes. But, she could see how one might find him attractive. He had a strong build, so she surmised that he had played sports at least once in his young life. His clothes, on the other hand, didn't appear very athletic at all. He simply wore a plain purple shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

From the corner of her eye, Rachel could see Drew Tanaka—the school, um, _queen_—approaching him. Before she could quite reach the new boy, the redhead swooped in and laced her arm through his, dragging him back over to her locker.

He looked shocked, to say the least. Nico appeared to be refraining from laughter, but Annabeth chuckled freely, much to Jason's embarrassment.

Rachel released him and outstretched a hand. "Nice to meet you!" she chimed. "I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Welcome to Goode!"

He shook her hand cautiously. "Uh…" he began shyly, blushing. "Jason. Jason Grace."

Annabeth smiled at him. "Another Grace at Goode! Lord help us all, we can't possibly handle two of them," she joked.

"Another Grace here?" Jason repeated, eyebrows furrowing.

Rachel rolled her green eyes. "Oh, boo her. I'm sure you aren't related to Thalia. Anyway, the rude blonde who just spoke is Annabeth—"

"Hey!"

"—and that strapping young boy to the right of her is Nico."

The dark-haired boy nodded. "Hi," he said.

Jason allowed himself a small smile. Now that was someone he could get along with. "Hey."

"So, where are you from?" Annabeth asked, obviously interested.

"San Fran," the boy said, his previous mood dropping. He didn't want to think about his home. "Cali. Dad got a job opportunity here, so we moved."

The blonde girl grinned. "I used to live there. It's amazing. The architecture—"

"Okay, blondie," Nico cut her off. "Don't scare him away that fast."

Rachel and Jason laughed, while the blonde girl shot him a scathing look.

"Anyway, Jason," the redhead said, smiling. "It was nice meeting you. Maybe you'll sit with us at lunch?"

The boy looked a little reluctant, but he nodded and flashed a smile of his own. "Definitely." After a short pause, he said, "I have Jefferson first; do any of you know where that is?"

Nico nodded. "I have him, too. I'll walk you."

"Thanks, man."

The two boys walked off, and the girls stared after them.

"He seems nice," Rachel said. "I kind of expected him to run from us sooner."

Annabeth smirked. "We'll see. I'm saving final judgement."

* * *

Percy turned around when he felt a presence behind him. Rachel grinned at him toothily, linking their arms in the friendly manner she often did. She began skipping down the halls, not minding when he didn't make the effort to keep up.

"What's got you in such a great mood, Rachel?" he asked, chuckling. His free hand gripped the strap of his backpack. "Calm down! We'll get to first period."

"Guess who I ran into this morning?" the redhead sang, finally slowing down in front of their classroom door. "Come on, guess!" she repeated when her friend looked hesitant.

"Hmm?" Percy hummed thoughtfully, playfully stroking his 5 'o clock shadow. "Must be one of the new students. You always greet them."

Rachel nodded slowly. "Yeah…she's new. In a way."

The boy smirked. "Thalia, then? The girl I've been hearing so much about?"

The redhead smiled, excitedly pointing at him. "That's the one!"

Without wasting any more time, Percy rolled his eyes and opened the door to their classroom, making sure she managed to squeeze in safely. He would always regret the time he accidentally nailed Annabeth in the nose with the wooden door. She never let him hear the end of it, either.

The two of them walked to the far table and took a seat. Percy slipped his textbook from his backpack and opened it on his desk, before turning to face Rachel again. She, of course, already had all of her supplies out. English was one of her favorite subjects, even if she would never vocalize her infatuation.

"You think we'll see her around? Like, have classes with her?" he asked her, drumming his pencil on his desk.

If the teacher were ever early, he would put a stop to the annoying tendency. Percy was glad that their English instructor was irresponsible—his ADHD had to find an outlet somehow. It was better than his previous method of trying to figure out what animal his teacher resembled. He had decided weeks ago that it was most certainly a ferret.

Rachel shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "I didn't get a chance to see her classes. But, I told her to meet with us at lunch, whether we had classes together or not."

"That was nice of you," Percy said, nodding a little. "So, I might have classes with her and not even realize it?"

His friend rolled her eyes, twirling her pen between her fingers. "You do realize that the teacher will announce her name, yes?"

He sighed. "Guess I didn't consider that a possibility. Thought it would be a bit too cliché," he defended. "So…just in case. What does she look like?"

He felt stupid asking the question. After all, he had already read her profile online. He knew of her basic appearance. But, he was curious as to if her look changed at all. He had been pretty sure she had been the mysterious girl he met at the grocery store.

"Dark hair, blue eyes, freckles…" she trailed off.

Percy made a strange sound in the back of his throat. "Gee, thanks for describing a large percent of the world's population."

Rachel huffed. "Fine. She has sort of tan skin. It's kind of in between, I guess. She's tall, kind of broody, grungy—"

"Whoa, she's what now? And how is that relevant to her appearance?"

"Grungy," Rachel responded, as if that answered everything. "And it's relevant because of the way she dresses. Goddess, Percy, keep up. Anyway, more information; since you are _dying _to know."

The teenager next to her rolled his eyes, but didn't choose to say anything more.

"She's a few inches shorter than you, I think," she added thoughtfully, looking him up and down. "Which is still pretty impressive. What are you, 6 '4?"

"6 '2," he mumbled, finally placing his pencil down on top of his notebook. "I'm about done growing."

A few moments passed by before either of them spoke again.

"You know," Percy started, testing the words on his tongue. "Now that you described her, she sounds really familiar."

He was now one hundred percent certain that the girl he met had, in fact, been Thalia.

"I doubt you've met her before," Rachel said, frowning slightly. "I think she's lived here all of her life. Well, except for those years she lived in Detroit. Besides that, though, she's only ever lived around New York."

"Who knows?" Percy muttered, flipping through the pages of his textbook. "You're right. I'm probably thinking of someone else."

* * *

By the time lunch came around, Thalia was disappointed to find that she hadn't shared any classes with her acquaintances. Thankfully, she was able to find them at a relatively vacant table in the cafeteria. When she took a seat in between Rachel and Annabeth, she found herself facing a boy she didn't particularly favor.

"Underwood," she acknowledged, throwing him a cursory glance before looking to her closest friends. "Girls."

To anyone else, her animosity towards Grover Underwood might have seemed illogical. But, he had seriously pissed her off once in the past and she wasn't the type to forgive easily. He had been the runt to rat her out to the principal, over the issue of her selling pornographic magazines out of her locker. On her part, she supposed she shouldn't have been doing so in the first damn place. However, it wasn't as if he hadn't been one of her frequent clients.

"Thalia," Rachel said, smiling. "Guess what?"

Before Thalia could bother saying anything, Annabeth answered. "Jason is sitting with us today. We met him this morning. He seems pretty friendly so far."

_Jason? Who the fuck was Jason?_

"Jason? Who the fuck is that?" she asked curiously. Thalia had always been one to voice her thoughts.

"New kid," a new voice sounded. A blonde boy sat next to the left of Grover, stretching a hand out towards her. "Name is Jason Grace," he said, smiling.

Thalia visibly tensed. He had the same last name as her? They couldn't have been related; it was impossible! Well, okay. Maybe it wasn't that impossible, but she still refused to believe it. It must have been just a coincidence.

Not bothering to even glance down at his hand, she nodded and turned her attention away from him. She didn't miss his frown, and she almost felt bad. Sighing, she turned back to him. Thalia exited confinement with intentions of improving the way she behaved towards others, and she would be damned if she backed out of it this quickly.

"Thalia. Nice to meet you."

Jason's smile slowly returned, and then he focused on his food, stabbing his fork into a strand of pasta. "Hey, Rachel. Hello, Annabeth. Will Nico be joining us?"

Thalia snickered. He sounded like the typical high-class kid—all prissy and proper. She wouldn't doubt it if he claimed to have a yacht. Kids like her didn't get along with kids like him. She just hoped the poor boy didn't wander off into the middle of her neighborhood. A few of the local gangs would jump him without a second thought. If he were lucky, Clarisse La Rue and her gang of numbnuts wouldn't see him as a potential target.

Grover shook his shoulder. "Nah, man. Nico is going to be seriously busy."

"You two know each other?" Thalia asked. Her Brooklyn accent shined through her words, and she cleared her throat. She hated when she picked up her original accent that she shared with her drunken mother.

Grover looked reluctant to answer, but eventually complied. "Yeah. Met him in gym, second period."

"Nico?" Thalia spoke up suddenly. "He sounds familiar."

Annabeth smiled. "Bianca's little brother. Remember Bianca?"

"I was imprisoned; not in a coma. Of course I remember her."

The blonde elbowed the taller girl in the ribs, causing the brunette to hunch forward and groan in pain. "Oh, Thals," Annabeth sang. "Forever the snappish one."

"Snappish? No way in hell that's a word," a dark-haired boy scoffed as he sat down to the right of Grover. His sea green eyes met a pair of electric blue, and recognition shot through him.

Thalia smirked. "You," she remarked, tilting her head to the side in mock-thought.

Percy smiled sheepishly, giving a little wave. "Hi again."

"Percy Jackson," she said, before she could catch herself.

Part of her was surprised that she had even bothered to remember his name. She had a terrible memory. Before she had ever been "behind bars," so to speak, she would have never bothered with the group. Thalia had been incredibly shallow. While she had always been on good terms with Rachel and Annabeth, she never would've found herself hanging around the likes of the rest of them.

_Change is good, _she reminded herself silently.

Percy smiled, obviously pleased she had remembered his name. "I'm guessing you're Thalia."

"You would be guessing correctly," she said, nodding. Suddenly, she became aware of the eyes that had drifted over to them. Thalia cleared her throat pointedly, subtly hinting that someone choose to start a new line of conversation.

Rachel, of course, received the hint loud and clear. "So, Jason," the redhead began excitedly. "How are you liking it here?"

The blonde boy attempted to smile, but it was terribly half-hearted. "It's okay," he replied. "The weather is extremely different than it is in California. Definitely something to get used to."

Before anything else could be said on the topic, Annabeth urgently nudged Thalia. "The Vapid Duo, 6 'o clock."

"What?"

"Behind you, moron," the blonde clarified, rolling her gray eyes.

Upon turning around, Thalia found herself face-to-face with a strikingly familiar pair of beautiful chocolate eyes. A full set of lips stretched into a cruel smirk, and the dark-haired juvenile was abruptly reminded that she was meant to hate this girl. Ever since their fall-out in eighth grade, the shorter girl had made it her goal to make Thalia's life a living hell. As if it wasn't already, of course.

The two of them had been acquaintances for a while; back when Zoë was living outside of her little conservative box. They had gone to clubs and parties together, even at the young age of 14. Unfortunately, their short lasting friendship had come crashing down once the shorter of the two got absolutely trashed and ended up sleeping with Thalia's rather promiscuous older cousin Hercules.

Because the Nightshades were a highly respected family in the wealthy community, Zoë was punished when her mother, Artemis, discovered of her involvement in "sexual activity." Naturally, Zoë took the quick route out and pinned it on her friend Thalia, claiming she was a horrible influence. The fact that she was related to the boy who broke her heart just made the girl's hatred for her ten times worse. Thalia couldn't honestly find it in herself to blame Zoë for everything that transpired that year, knowing that the girl had been raised in a far different setting than she had.

After then, Zoë formed her own group, which she nicknamed the Virtuous Girls or something ridiculous like that; everyone around school called them the Bitter Virgins behind their backs, courtesy of Thalia herself. Zoë attempted to make herself appear pure, as if she had never been some sort of out-of-control party animal. It was enough to make Thalia want to laugh...or vomit, more accurately.

_Whatever, _Thalia thought. She was better off without the girl in her life.

"Moron is about right," Zoë smirked, obviously having heard Annabeth's remark.

"Nightshade," the eldest teen present drawled out. "So nice to see you again. I really missed ya in the pen. Thought about ya everyday. You think about me?" she taunted.

"Don't flatter yourself, Grace," Zoë snapped, although her cheeks flushed a vibrant scarlet. Thalia nearly stood up at the mention of her last name, but she managed to stay rooted to her seat. "I just came by to see if the rumors were true."

"Rumors?" Thalia asked, dark eyebrows drawn together. "What rumors?"

Phoebe, who dutifully stood to the right of her best friend, leaned forward to address the group as a whole. "You mean you haven't heard?"

"No, I was fucking lying," the raven-haired punk remarked dryly. "Of course I haven't heard, idiot."

Percy, Jason, Rachel, and the rest of them wisely kept out of the dispute.

Phoebe looked slightly taken back by the comment, but she tilted her head back and laughed aloud, seemingly finding something hilarious about the tense situation. Zoë continued to glare at her ex-friend, but reached out to flick her best friend on the back of the head.

"Well," the chestnut-haired beauty began somewhat irritably. "Word around school is that you've turned into some kind of soft loser. What will Connor and the boys think of their precious Thalia now?"

Connor. There was a name that nearly brought a smile to Thalia's face. She had been very close with Luke, Connor and Travis, the mischievous siblings. They got into a lot of trouble together, from pulling pranks-like loading thick chocolate pudding into Ethan Nakamura's locker-to getting stingy teachers fired in the sixth grade. She couldn't wait to see her boys again.

"Well, Zoë belle," an amused voice sounded, and Connor took a seat next to Rachel. "We love our Thalia—"

"—just the same," Travis finished, taking a seat next to Percy. "Hey, Percy, man. How's it going?"

"Good," the boy answered, smiling shyly. Connor, Travis and Luke didn't typically hang out with their group, and Percy had never gotten the chance to talk to any of them. He didn't even know they knew his name.

A head of pale blonde hair plopped down next to Annabeth, sparkling blue eyes nearly making the girl swoon. Luke Castellan grinned crookedly, leaning forward to grin at his old friend.

"Thalia, you're like a brother to me!"

The girl in question sent a similar look his way before she turned to Zoë and Phoebe once again.

Thalia cleared her throat pointedly. "So, you two gonna get the hell out of Dodge, or?"

With an indignant huff and a few whispered curses, the girls obliged. A few silent moments passed by before the siblings broke out in hysterical laughter, and Travis leaned over the table to shake Thalia by the shoulder.

"She still hates you, man!" he said, shaking his head. After sitting back down, he stared in confusion at the blonde boy on the other side of Grover. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"

Jason glanced up in alarm, realizing someone was attempting to grab his attention. "Huh?"

Thalia smiled a genuine smile. She couldn't help but be in a good mood around her three best guy friends. "They asked your name, Richie."

"Oh…" he said. "Uh, it's Jason. Jason Grace."

Luke smirked. "Well, Jason Grace, you're being invited to the first party of the year."

Thalia perked up at this. "Your rents already taking their yearly vacation?"

The eldest of the group—as he was a senior, and his brothers were Thalia's age—rolled his eyes. "Yeah," Luke responded. "They felt as if they needed some freaking away time. Ever since Mom got remarried, they're all gung-ho about every damn couple thing they choose to do."

Connor snorted. "I'm just glad they aren't fighting yet. Luke, you remember Dad—"

Luke silenced his younger brother with a glare. Sighing, he chose to elaborate on his earlier proposal. "So, party. My place. Everyone in?"

Grover made a sound that resembled the bleat of a goat. "Y—you mean, us, too?"

Travis flashed a devious smile. "'Course. Any friends of Thalia's are friends of ours." He looked to Percy and the two girls. "You three in?"

Percy looked taken back. Thalia, internally wishing he would choose to show up, decided to speak up for him. After all, he seemed like a pretty cool kid.

"Come on, guys. It'll be fun," she threw out, with no enthusiasm whatsoever. It seemed to work on the others, though.

Rachel and Annabeth nodded excitedly, while Percy gave a timid smile. "Sure," the boy decided. "Why not?"

"Great," Luke replied, smirking. "What about you, new kid?"

"I have to run it by my parents," Jason said weakly, wanting to shy away when amused gazes settled on him. "But…uh, yeah. I'll probably be able to go. Where is it?"

After Luke gave their new friends his cell number and promised to text them his address, the sneaky trio wandered around the rest of the cafeteria to invite others. Thalia watched them bother Silena and her group, and had to stifle a laugh.

In some ways, it was definitely good to be home.


	4. Percy Meets Lucy

**A/N: Plenty of Perlia in this one. Not too much drama, really. But, there most certainly will be in the next chapter. I would apologize for the cliff hanger, but I just love using them. Evil, I know. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own PJO, Shake Shack, or any other enterprises, brands, companies and so on. **

* * *

Friday rolled around faster than Jason thought possible. He figured it was mostly credited to the fact that just about everyone was anxiously anticipating Luke's first party of his senior year. Jason, only being a sophomore, was glad that he had Percy, Annabeth, and Rachel to accompany him. He didn't wish to be the only underclassmen present. He was pleased that Nico, a freshman, was going to be there as well, even though his older sister and her group were obviously going to be absent.

The last class of the day had already ended, and the blonde teenager was loading a few textbooks into his locker when he felt a presence behind him. He turned to see it was just the dark-haired girl who often sat with him at lunch—Thalia—and she was attending to the locker to the right of his. He could only assume it was hers.

Jason decided to start casual conversation with the girl, who was surprisingly his height if not an inch taller. In an odd way, which he would never mention to her, she reminded him of his father Jupiter. They were both tall, strong figured, and they shared similar facial expressions from apathy to the rare joyfulness. The girl must have been of some Greek descent to share so many of his family's features.

He shook his head at himself. He was probably just missing what little family he hadn't seen in years. Maybe he was even dwelling too much on the thought of his dad, who rarely spent time with him anymore. Jupiter was always too preoccupied with taking care of business.

"Hi there," he started, cursing himself when his voice cracked. Clearing his throat, he said again, "Hi, Thalia."

She sent an almost smug look his way, obviously having heard his slip-up. "Jason," she acknowledged, still working on opening her locker.

"Those are tricky," he said, smiling in a friendly manner. "Need some help opening that?"

Thalia smirked. "Yeah, real tricky. You happen to know the combination?"

Jason's eyebrows knit together. "Pardon me?" he asked, leaning closer as if he hadn't heard her correctly. She should know her own combination. Unless she had forgotten, of course. "Oh!" he said in realization. "You must have forgotten your combination."

The older of the two laughed. "Nope. I know _my_ combination just fine." There was a suspicious snag in her tone. "Now, are you gonna help me break into Phoebe's locker or what?"

"W-what?" he asked, shocked. "That's _her _locker?"

Thalia shot him a surprised look, as if she didn't understand what he found so baffling about the situation. "Yeah," she drawled out. "So, you gonna help, champ?"

Jason found himself stuck. On one hand, he desperately wanted to make a new friend. He was nothing if not charismatic. At the same time, he didn't want to go and prank someone. He didn't need to get in trouble; his parents—namely his father—would absolutely slaughter him and serve him as a main course. He also didn't want to wind up hurting someone else's feelings. He should have taken Grover's advice the other day when he warned of Thalia and her group of misfits.

Before he could do anything to stop himself, he was working on the lock. For some reason, he couldn't refrain from helping her. She smiled at his willingness, before lightly tugging on the end of his shirt to get his attention.

"You don't even want to know why I'm doing this?" she asked, amused.

Jason flushed a light pink, realizing that he was acting like he liked her or something. But, he didn't have a crush on her. He would know if he did. Plus, he would feel creepy if he had a crush on someone who he thought resembled his father. He just wanted to do a nice thing for someone else, and winded up appearing clingy.

"Uh…sure," he said eventually. "I don't particularly know Phoebe."

"It's nothing bad," she promised, smirking at the thought. "The opposite, actually. I wanted to sneak an invitation to Luke's party in her locker, because no one would be able to if Zoë was around."

The blonde boy found himself surprised. She was doing something…nice? Didn't Annabeth say that Thalia hated Zoë and her group?

"I know what you're thinking," Thalia said, scowling. Now _that _looked a little more like Jupiter. Jason almost recoiled at the thought. "I don't hate all of them, you know. I don't even _really _hate Zoë. Phoebe and I get along pretty well when bitch isn't around, and Bianca and I have always been friends. I don't talk to the rest of their followers."

Finally, with the work of the two of them, they managed to get the locker open. Thalia quickly slipped and envelope inside and before Jason could make out anything in the space, she shut the locker and locked it again.

"If it were anyone else's locker," she said, "I wouldn't have hesitated to snap the lock off. But, thanks, Jason. I really appreciate it."

He smiled. "Any time."

"Be careful about saying that."

Jason rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his jeans. His backpack was heavy on his back, and he visibly winced at the pain it supplied.

Thalia raised a dark brow as they stepped outside of the school. A smirk stretched onto her lips. "Too heavy for you, Richie?"

"I'm fine," he grumbled. "Why do you call me that?"

"You don't get the reference?"

"No," he said, shaking his head for emphasis. "I don't. I wouldn't have asked if I did."

He expected her to snap at him or get angry, but she just snickered to herself. "Then I can't help you, man," she said, jogging off to meet Luke and his brothers by the road.

Jason sighed, the butterflies in his stomach doing somersaults as he stepped onto his bus. Tonight would be his first actual party, with the exception of birthday parties he had attended in his youth. He hoped it wouldn't be as bad as he imagined.

* * *

Thalia gave Luke a quick side-hug when she reached him and his brothers. She was closest with him, as they had practically grown up together. They were both from relatively broken households, although he had actually known his father for a short while.

Their mothers knew one another from some pregnancy class, and they had stuck together since then. So, Luke and Thalia had always been inseparable. He had even tried to visit her while she was in confinement. Of course, they hadn't allowed him entrance. But, he still made the attempt and that was enough for her. He knew how her mother was, and she knew the same of his. When they had been younger, and Thalia let her mother really get to her, he had been her support system.

Unfortunately, they also performed illegal acts with one another—from conning money from the elderly to breaking and entering. They did practically everything together, even if it got them in trouble. To put it plainly, Thalia would die for him, and she knew that he would do the very same for her. He was like a brother to her, after all.

"What did the new kid want from you, Thalia?" Luke asked, his tone sharp.

Thalia grinned at the mention of Jason. She had been surprised at his assistance earlier. She had figured him to be too stuck-up to help someone like her, but she had quickly been proven wrong.

The angry edge in Luke's voice made her a bit wary, but she decided to answer him anyway.

"He helped me break into Phoebe's locker," she said, smirking. "Can ya believe that?"

Travis laughed. "No way!"

Connor shook his head, a smile on his face. "Thalia, you could trick anyone into doing anything."

"I didn't trick him, though," she insisted. "I asked if he knew the combination, and he wanted to help."

"Sure," Luke said, smirking. "All you have to do is flash someone those blue eyes, say one kind word, and they'll do pretty much anything."

Thalia flushed red. "Yeah, right. Whatever."

Connor snickered. "It's true for Luke. He'd do anything—"

The twin was silenced when Luke rammed an elbow into his side. The blonde smiled grimly, before he turned back to his female companion. "So," he said, "you coming along with Connor, Travis, and I?"

"Sorry, guys," she said, sighing. "I'd love to. But, I really have to get home. And Nevaeh is waiting for me to pick her up."

Luke smiled, before pulling her into a hug. "Give me a call later," he demanded. "Come on, guys. Let's go."

He started off down the road, but his two younger brothers lingered behind long enough to tell Thalia goodbye before following him.

Watching them as they walked, Thalia sighed heavily. She had really missed the three of them. For some reason unknown to her, however, things between Luke and her had become rather tense.

Thalia walked into the parking lot, quickly finding her way to her mother's sleek black SUV. Part of her couldn't believe her mother was actually being compliant enough to allow her to use her previous vehicle. Usually, her mom sold a car she had before she bought another.

After starting the car, she admittedly drove a little over the speed limit. She had a schedule. She wanted to get to her sister's daycare as soon as possible. Her mother told her to hurry home from school. The woman probably just wanted to go out drinking or something.

Once she picked Vaeh up and the toddler was safely in her car seat, Thalia decided to slow down. There was no rush if it meant her younger sister could possibly be in danger. As she turned onto a worn road, the rain seemed to pour down even harder. It had only started raining after she had picked Nevaeh up. It didn't bother her, really. She loved the rain.

However, the lonely boy desperately trying to shield himself as he ran towards his destination didn't appear to like the rain very much. Recognizing him, Thalia pulled over and instructed Nevaeh to stay put. The teenager climbed from the car and sprinted over to the sidewalk.

"Jackson," she called out, smiling a little when he turned around.

He looked surprised that she was calling his name, but he jogged up to her. "What's up?" he panted. "You need something?"

"No, but you look like you need a ride," she replied. "Get in."

Percy smiled sheepishly. "You don't have to…"

"Percy," she cut him off, throwing him a glare. "I just got out of my warm car and stepped out into the pouring rain to offer you a ride. You're taking it."

He laughed, but allowed her to lead him over to the SUV. She instructed him to climb in the passenger side before she slipped into the driver's seat.

"Thanks, Thalia," he said, his voice quiet. She realized he was shy; about what, she wasn't sure.

"It's no problem," she said. "You didn't look like you were liking the rain all too much."

"Was you scared?" Nevaeh's voice called out, and she giggled soon after. Thalia looked into the rearview mirror and smiled.

He glanced back and his green eyes widened at the sight of the toddler. "Hi," he said, outstretching a hand to the little girl. "My name is Percy."

Neveah shook his hand eagerly. "Hi, Percy. I'm Lucy."

"Her name is Nevaeh," Thalia corrected, rolling her eyes. "Don't believe a word she says. She can't be trusted. I'm her sister. Trust me, I know."

"Name Lucy!"

Percy chuckled. "It's nice to meet you, Lucy." He looked to the road and whistled lowly. "How can you see in this weather?"

Thalia shrugged. "I can't," she lied, and laughed when he appeared frightened. "I'm just messin' with you, dude."

"Yeah, dude," Nevaeh echoed. Thalia shot her a thumbs-up, and Percy pouted.

They sat in silence for a short while, before a thought came to the dark-haired girl. "Wait…where do you live?"

Nevaeh laughed joyfully in the background. Percy smiled at her, and she had the strange urge to shift in her seat. What was making her so damn uncomfortable?

"You go off West 216th, and you'll come to a line of apartments called the—"

"The one next to the salon?"

"Yeah! That's the one," he said, smiling. "You have been there?"

"I live near it," she answered. "Been around the area a lot."

Percy nodded. "Oh. Where do you live?"

"Two story apartments down the block," Thalia replied, turning onto his road.

She was partly sad to see him go so soon. Even though they had fought the first time they had met, she didn't much mind his company. It was a good change from some of the people that she had used to hang around.

He pointed out the driveway, as they were more condos than apartments, and she parked. Setting her hands on her thighs, she turned to look at him.

"You going to Luke's party?" she asked.

There was an unsettling feel in her stomach as the words rattled between her lips, but she held back a grimace. It must have been her nerves acting up again.

The boy licked his bottom lip. "Yeah, if my stepfather doesn't change his mind at the last minute. Are you?"

She smirked. "Oh, of course. Luke would blow his top if I didn't show up."

Percy frowned, and she just managed to notice when he washed it away with another smile. "Oh, are you two together?"

Thalia erupted into laughter, only quieting when she distinctly heard her little sister's snores. If the girl were passed out, she wouldn't be one to argue. "Heavens, no," she replied, shaking her head at the absurdity at the idea. "I mean, yeah. We dated when we were maybe four. But since then? No. He's like a sibling to me."

Percy appeared to be relieved. "Oh," he said. "Sorry about the confusion."

"It's no problem, again, Jackson," she said, laughing quietly. "I would offer you a ride to the party, but I'm walking."

"Why would you walk?" he asked, genuinely lost.

Thalia snickered. "Never been to one of his parties, huh?" He shook his head no. "Let's just say," she leaned in and whispered, just in case her sister was awake. "I don't condone drinking and driving. Ma would kill me if I wrecked her SUV."

Percy looked taken back. She had that effect on him, she realized. "You mean…there's going to be a lot of drinking going on? Like, getting actually hammered?"

Thalia shot him a disgruntled look.

He frowned. "Hey, what's that look for?"

"I don't drink that much," she defended. "And, not everyone drinks or smokes at a party. That's retarded. You watch too many teenage movies."

"I've had alcohol before, Thalia," he said. "I just don't get drunk at parties."

"So, now you're judging me?"

"No, I'm not judging you!"

"Oh, hush before you wake Nevaeh up!"

Percy chuckled. "Sorry," he said. "One day we're going to argue too far and end up hurting one another."

"I'll make room on my calendar."

"Great," the boy responded, grinning. "So, uh…listen. Do you think maybe we could go to the party together? Like, walk together? Not like a date…unless _you _want it to be, of course. Or better yet—"

"Percy," she cut him off for the second time that day.

"Yes?"

"Why don't we meet up and walk there together?" she proposed, not meeting his gaze. "You know, safety in numbers?"

Percy grinned. "Sounds great," he said. "But, I doubt safety is an issue."

"You'd be surprised. Take it for someone who's been in Luke's neighborhood," she remarked, almost smirking. Her mind flashed to Clarisse and her group. They roamed the roads. "You know where Shake Shack is?"

"You talking about Upper West Side?" Percy asked. Thalia nodded. "Yeah, totally," he said, smiling. "I love that place."

"Tell you what. We'll meet there, and I'll drive there. Then, we'll come back to my place and leave for the party."

"Why do you want to leave from your place?"

Thalia shrugged. "It just seems easier. If I try and go from your house or the restaurant, I'll get confused. Plus, I need to wait for a babysitter anyway."

The dark-haired boy nodded. "Okay," he said, opening the car door. "I'll meet up with you around seven?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Nice seeing you, Jackson."

He smiled back before stepping out of the car and wishing her luck. After he shut the door and started towards his apartment, she turned the keys and backed out of the driveway.

* * *

By the time Thalia got in touch with a potential babysitter, it was nearing six-thirty. If she didn't leave soon, she would be late for her date. She blanched. It was not a date. It was simply a meeting of two people, who happened to be going to the same party…together.

_Stop overanalyzing things, _she lectured herself. _You don't date.  
_Luckily, she had been able to get a friend of hers—Bianca di Angelo, in fact—to baby-sit for her. Thalia's mother had already driven off to some cocktail joint for the night, and she wouldn't be back until the next morning. Because the juvenile didn't know if she'd make it home safely by the next day, Bianca had kindly offered to stay over.

She really owed the girl. Even if the younger hung around Zoë, Thalia still thought she had a very agreeable personality. She was understandably protective when it came to her brother, of course. When she had asked that Thalia keep an eye on Nico at the party, it didn't come as a surprise.

Thalia rushed into her bedroom and began to get dressed. She was never one to dress all-out for anything, so she stuck with her casual wear; consisting of ripped acid wash black jeans, leather jacket, and a Black Flag baseball-tee.

Nevaeh waddled into her bedroom, a drowsy look on her face. Her little sister had woken up. _Shit, _Thalia had thought. Vaeh wasn't going to be very happy about her leaving.

"Sissy," the toddler said, yawning. Thalia hated that nickname. "Where?"

The teen understood what she was asking. "I'm going to hang out with a few friends. Bianca is going to be sleeping over with you tonight. You remember her?"

Neveah crossed her arms over her chest, flipping her dark hair, and Thalia knew she was in for it. "Why?"

"Because I'm not going to be here," Thalia explained cautiously.

Her sister had always hated her going out, even when Vaeh was merely a few months old. The then infant would cry if her older sister dared to leave the side of her crib.

"Bianca called to hang out with you, Vaeh," she lied.

The fib burned its way out of her throat. It had always killed her to lie to her younger sister, but it was better this way. Nevaeh didn't need to know about her nightlife. It was bad enough that the little girl knew the gist of their mother's shenanigans.

Nevaeh pouted. "You stay, too?"

The hopeful tone was enough to damn near kill Thalia. The taller girl kneeled in front of her sister and shook her head. "No, baby girl," she said, hating the way her sister's pout deepened. "I'll be home before you know it, though, and we'll watch some movies together."

Her sister grinned toothily. "Nemo?"

Thalia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't particularly like that movie at all. "Sure thing, kid," she answered. "You know what?"

"What?"

"After I go out for lunch, and bring you home some food, maybe I can convince my friend Percy to stick around for a while. I'm sure he'll watch Nemo with Bianca, you and I."

"Really?" Nevaeh asked, as if stunned by the idea. "A boy?"

Thalia laughed, running a hand through her short hair. "Yeah, a boy," she replied. "Not all of them are icky…once you get used to them."

The toddler seemed to ponder the thought for a moment before she flashed another wide smile. "Okay!"

As soon as Bianca showed up, which wasn't too much longer, Thalia wished her little sister farewell and hopped into the SUV. By the time she arrived in front of the Shake Shack, she was already ten minutes late. Cursing herself when she saw Percy patiently waiting at a table inside, she hurried out of her car and sprinted into the establishment.

He looked up and smiled in welcome, ushering her over. She allowed herself a small smile in return, feeling sorry for keeping him waiting. Thalia walked over and took a seat across from him.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Bianca took forever to answer her phone."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Bianca?"

"Babysitting my sister," Thalia answered. Percy nodded in understanding. "You order yet?"

He shook his head. "I thought I'd wait for you."

"Thanks." She raised a dark eyebrow, keeping her face relatively passive. Internally, she was surprised. He was a thoughtful person, she realized.

The two of them walked up to the register. Percy motioned for her to place her order, and she gladly spoke up.

"I'll take a ShackBurger with no tomato, cheese fries, and a large coke," Thalia said.

The teenager at the register smiled, placing in her order. "Yes ma'am," he commented. He looked to the taller boy. "And for you, sir?"

"Because people who don't like tomatoes are out of their minds," Percy replied slyly, avoiding an elbow jab from Thalia, "I'll take what she's having, but keep the tomato please."

The boy behind the register laughed. "Yes, sir. If you go and wait at your table, I'll gladly have someone bring your food when it's ready."

Thalia smiled. "Thank you."

Percy handed him the respective amount due, ignoring the girl's look of disbelief. She didn't normally get around with chivalrous people. Even though she, herself, wasn't too fortunate, she liked to hold down her own weight.

They found their way back to their table, and Percy flashed her a wide grin. "So," he began, almost shyly. "You come here often?"

He didn't mean it as a pick-up line, but she threw her head back and laughed aloud. Percy's cheeks flushed red, and he looked down at the tabletop.

"What a line, Jackson," she remarked, still laughing.

When she noticed his blush, she decided to lighten up on him a little bit. Even though she had a naturally teasing personality, she didn't want it to come in between their blossoming friendship.

"So," she said. "When we go back to my place, it's going to be a while until the party starts. You want to stick around and watch a movie with Vaeh and I? Bianca is going to be there, too."

Part of her was afraid he would say no. She may have been slow to trust, but she tended to rush certain things when she became involved with them. She couldn't rightfully blame him if he rejected her offer. Thalia wouldn't say no to someone she had known for a week, either.

Percy grinned. "Sure, what movie are we watching?"

Thalia visibly winced. "Finding Nemo, of course. It's one of Nevaeh's favorites."

He fist-pumped. "Yes! I love that movie!"

She gaped. "What? Are you serious?"

He grew a strange expression. "Duh," he answered. "Hold up," he commanded, raising a hand for emphasis. "You don't like Nemo?"

"After watching it a hundred times?" she questioned rhetorically. "No, thank you."

"It's a classic!"

Thalia snorted rather unattractively. "Classic, my ass. It's about a bunch of fuckin' sea creatures trying to find a baby clown fish."

"You know what I think it is?" he asked. She flashed him an aloof look. "You're afraid to be a kid. Nemo is a great movie."

"Afraid to be a kid?" she inquired, snickering. "I'm a teenager. I'm sorry I don't watch children movies."

Percy glared playfully. "You should be apologizing to yourself."

"I'm sorry, self."

"That's better."

A girl showed up at their table and gave them their trays, along with their drinks. They dug into their food eagerly, neither wanting to stall and talk for longer. Thalia instantly noticed that—even though they did have their stark differences—it was something they shared in common. They both had a lion's appetite.

By the time they were inside of her car, it was already just past eight thirty. Thalia was usually a quick eater, but they had spent a good time talking after finishing their meals. Percy kindly slipped the to-go bag off of her arm and placed it in his lap. Luckily, she had remembered to pick up something for both Nevaeh and Bianca.

She had gotten both girls the same thing. Thalia wasn't sure what Bianca liked, but she figured she couldn't go wrong with getting a hotdog. She set her to-go cup in the drink holder and slowly backed out.

It wasn't too long before they arrived back at her place, only to find a rather unexpected visitor.


	5. Mrs Timberlake

**A/N: Warning - this chapter deals with a few rather onerous topics. These issues include underage drinking, teen partying, mentions of sexual activity, and a couple of bitchy attitudes. Although I am sure that all of you are mature enough to take these topics seriously (and I did, in fact, set the rating to M), I am warning of it ahead of time. I don't wish to offend anyone. **

**Feel free to review. Suggestions and/or questions are welcomed as well.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, the PJO series will never be mine. I suppose it just wasn't meant to be.**

* * *

"Nightshade," Thalia acknowledged in surprise, seeing the girl curled up next to Bianca and Nevaeh on the couch.

A fleece blanket was wrapped around the girl in question, and it slipped down a little when she turned to see the taller girl in the doorway. Her expression was far from hostile, but the girl hardly looked impressed.

Bianca turned to shoot Thalia an apologetic look, as Percy entered the apartment. The boy glanced about the spacious, impressive living room before his gaze settled on the head of the most feared—and hated—group within the school.

"What's she doing here?" he asked, trying to keep any opinion out of his voice.

Zoë shot him a look of disgust. "Just like you to have a _boy _over, Thalia."

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?" the juvenile shot back, her face beet red.

Zoë knew sexual references were sensitive topics for her. Thalia didn't do relationships, but she had sure as hell done other things. Given the environment she had grown up in, it wasn't much of a surprise. Her mother was one of the biggest sluts around town.

The dark-haired girl grimaced. She hated the term, but she couldn't refrain from connecting it to her desperate mother. In actuality, she knew her mom couldn't properly be judged for her promiscuity. The previous Soap star had never broken up a relationship, nor had she cheated in one. Her father, however, had been quite the man whore—according to her mom's stories, that is.

Thalia had slept with people before. She didn't have any trouble with the thought of it. She'd gotten drunk and had sex with girls or boys at parties. But, every time Zoë brought something like that up, it always managed to piss Thalia off. The girl had no business in her life, especially if the so-called _virgin _was going to be such a nosy bitch about everything.

Thalia didn't see why any of it even mattered. She wasn't like that anymore. She had other responsibilities, such as looking after Nevaeh and making enough money to support her family. She was done being selfish.

Neveah popped her little black head of hair up, smiling widely at her older sister. "Lia! Nemo. Come watch with us."

Bianca frowned. "I'm sorry, Thalia," she said sincerely. "Zoë's mother is out of town, meeting with her father to finalize their divorce. She had no where else to go—"

"You know what?" Zoë snapped, standing up from the blankets and snatching her camouflage duffel bag off the carpet. "I'll just leave."

She made a move to brush past Thalia, but was quickly prevented from doing so. Her chocolate eyes flashed menacingly, and she raised her chin. Zoë had always been one for a challenge. Luckily, Thalia was the same way.

"Don't leave," the juvenile suggested casually. "We may hate one another, but that's no reason for you to be roaming this neighborhood on your own. I know you don't have a ride."

It was true. Artemis—Zoë's overprotective, headstrong rights activist mother—thought vehicles were unnecessary. Her family walked practically everywhere. They were from some rural town, and had moved into the busy city of Manhattan when Zoë hit middle school age.

Also, Thalia's neighborhood—as ritzy as her mother's apartment was—wasn't the best place to be come nightfall. Gangs, both of the adult and teen variety, wandered the cold streets. That was one reason she had wanted to walk Percy to Luke's party. Even though the gangs were dangerous, she had met most of the members in the past. Last she had checked she was on their good side.

Zoë snorted. "What? Don't want your friends to jump me?" she asked bitterly. Her eyes roamed distastefully over Percy. "Like I can't handle my own. I'm not the same girl you used to know, Thalia. I've taken self-defense classes. I can kick anyone's ass."

Thalia couldn't hold back her laugh, and seeing the frightened look on the boy's face only made her laugh harder. She stepped threateningly close to Zoë, her height prominent as the girl's face practically met the juvenile's collarbone.

"Can you kick my ass, Nightshade?" she taunted, a smirk stretching onto her full lips.

"Of course I could," the other girl sneered, seemingly unaffected by Thalia's impressive stature. "But, why would I waste my time? You know I like challenges."

Thalia fumed, but felt her shoulder gripped by the boy behind her. "Uh, Thalia?" he started, and swallowed nervously when she turned her head to glare at him. "Why don't we all just watch the movie with Bianca and Vaeh?"

Thalia sighed in relent, but Zoë still appeared unsure. "I'd rather not," she answered briskly, making to leave the apartment again.

Nevaeh leaped up from the couch and sprinted over, latching herself onto the retreating girl's leg.

"Zo!" she exclaimed, making a bunch of weird noises. Thalia was convinced that the little girl had ADHD as well. The juvenile suffered of it. "Nemo!"

Zoë smiled a genuine smile, and it threw Thalia for a loop. "I can't stay, Vay-Vay," she said, almost disappointed.

Thalia shot her an incredulous look. _Vay-Vay? Might as well have called her vah-jay-jay._

Nevaeh's pout came into play, and her big eyes watered over. "Why?" She turned to look up at her older sister, frowning. "Can Zoë stay, sissy?"

Zoë snickered at the name, but Bianca shot her a look that effectively shut her up.

Thalia nodded grimly, not looking forward to anything but getting away from the apartment. "Yeah," she said, her bright blue eyes flickering to the chestnut-haired beauty. "Why don't you hang out with Bianca and Zoë tonight, pumpkin? Percy and I have to leave soon."

Percy gasped. "Oh man, no Nemo?"

Thalia elbowed him, causing Neveah to giggle. "Okay, Lia," the little girl chirped, noticeably brighter. "Be back 'night?"

"Yes," Thalia said. "We'll be back tonight."

There was no way in hell she was sticking around to tolerate Zoë Nightshade.

Thalia led Percy into her bedroom, ignoring the snide remarks on the irritating girl's behalf. Zoë had no place judging her. Upon entering the room, she closed it firmly behind her, and instructed the boy to take a seat on her bed. He looked reluctant—if the shocked expression he bore on his face was enough to go by—but he eventually sat down.

"I just need to put my cash up," she said, smirking. "I would do the same if I were you. Connor and Travis have a habit of pick-pocketing."

Percy smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'll just take your word for it," he said, tossing her his wallet.

She slipped it into one of her dresser drawers, before sliding her money out of her pocket and stashing it. Thalia glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow at his attire. He wore a gray v-neck over his torso, jeans, and a pair of sneakers that were nearly falling off.

Thalia quickly looked the other way when she was caught staring. She saw something in him that she had once seen in herself—disconsolateness. She was probably of one of the richest families in the area, but she was as unfortunate as any other kid that treated the streets as a second home.

She saw the similarities in Percy. It was almost as if she were looking into her past—before she had gotten into serious trouble, that is. Back when she was just another kid, working to make herself honest. Thalia had turned wretched after a while. Between working ridiculous jobs, cruel reality crashed down on her head and she was forced to face the bitter facts. If she continued to be as good as she could be she would never be enough.

Thalia couldn't count the number of times she had worn dirty clothes to school, just because she was unable to afford detergent. Her mother only spent money on herself, and that was it. The punk found herself hungry on many occasions, only caring to ensure Nevaeh's health.

She wondered if Percy had any siblings he had to look out for. She suspected that if he did, he would put them above himself. He just seemed to be that kind of person. Thalia bit her lip in thought. On the other hand, no one would suspect that she took care of someone other than herself. Zoë, along with some other people who hated her, spread nasty rumors about her on a daily basis. If someone were to believe the lies, they would either avoid her or confront her about her "misshapen attitude."

Thalia reached into her closet and dug out a black sweatshirt. She tossed it to Percy. "Here," she said, not meeting his eyes. "It's going to get cold tonight. Unless you're a dancer."

He scoffed. "Dancing? Yeah, not really my thing."

She turned and smirked at him. "Insecurities?"

"Two left feet."

Thalia laughed. "What kind of parties have you been to? Luke never plays anything slow. As long as you have a warm body and a little booze in your system, you'll be dancing like a pro."

It was ten minutes before they finally left the house, and Thalia made sure to give her little sister a kiss and hug goodbye. After setting the full to-go boxes on the coffee table, she told Bianca to call her if anything came up or her mother arrived home early. Making sure to ignore Zoë, the two of them walked out the door and headed into the elevator.

"I feel bad for her," Percy admitted. "It makes me wonder what could have possibly made her the way she is."

Thalia allowed the words to sink in and have their effect, but she didn't reveal anything outwardly. Choosing not the answer his statement, she stared at the elevator keypad, watching the lobby button flash. They really needed to renovate the elevator. As high-class and ritzy as the apartment suites were, even they needed repair.

Thalia realized that there wasn't anything in the world that didn't need to change. No matter how grandiose something seemed it would always require improvement. She didn't like that idea all too much. By nature, she was a perfectionist. She thought her way was best, and she didn't like the fact that she could never do something perfectly. If anyone went against what she said or how she planned something, she would flip and end up knocking their teeth out.

That aspect of her personality confused her. Her mother wasn't like that at all. Before the sex and substance abuse, her mom had been sort of a neat freak but she hadn't been a perfectionist. Thalia had always strived to be absolutely perfect. If she recalled correctly, Annabeth had been similar. But, there was one difference between the two of them. Annabeth already thought she could do everything perfectly, whereas Thalia viewed it as impossible.

Thalia loved power. She always struggled to maintain dominance over something, whether it was the outcome of a series of events or during a competition. She tended to be slightly overbearing, and she gloated like no other after winning something. She liked having an advantage over an opponent; in turn, she favored having power over someone. She couldn't say no to a challenge, nor could she reject something potentially powerful.

Thalia loved being the best of the best. She wanted to be stronger and more powerful than everyone else, and she had no idea why. She didn't know how she could have thought this way. She never spent time with anyone power-hungry, and she didn't think personality traits were genetic. Then again, she wasn't exactly a Nobel Prize winner.

She wondered if Percy had anything weird about his personality. Was he a compulsive liar? Did he have trouble resisting temptation? Was he secretly haughty? Thalia quickly ruled out all of them. She didn't know him that well yet—not at all, in fact—but he didn't seem like he was any of those things.

Thalia couldn't help but wonder—what was his "fatal" flaw?

After leaving the apartment complex, they made their way down the brightly lit streets. She dug her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, kicking away a shard of glass. She assumed it was from a bottle of alcohol; on this side of town, it wasn't very surprising. A shadowy formed passed by them, sending her a wave. She wasn't sure who it had been, but she settled for nodding her head in acknowledgement.

It had probably been some kid she had known before her sentence.

"How far away does he live from here?" Percy asked, digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Her sweatshirt was a little small on him, but it accentuated the muscles of his chest. She drew her attention away from his torso, forcing herself to look straight ahead.

"Not too far away," she said honestly. "We'll be there soon."

He nodded, and they fell into silence again.

Thalia realized that she liked the quiet. Even though she had spent most of the day with this boy, things were slowly becoming awkward.

"You taking a language this year?" he asked her, starting up conversation again.

The dark-haired girl nodded, not saying anything.

"I'm taking Spanish," he said. "What are you taking? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Thalia sighed heavily, coming to the conclusion that avoiding conversation would be pointless. "French."

"I thought about taking it," Percy replied, shrugging. "Don't know why I didn't. I suppose I figured Spanish would be much more useful here, in our country."

"Do you like it?" she inquired, decided to humor him and indulge in the small talk.

He flashed a half-smile, tilting his head to look at her. "Yeah," Percy said. "It's harder than I expected, but I enjoy it. What made you want to take French?"

Thalia smirked. "I'm afraid my reason is less admirable than yours."

"Well? What is it?"

Her smirk turned slightly sheepish as twinkling emerald hues peered into a sea of clustered blue. "The teacher allows us to use our cell phones in class."

Percy chuckled, playfully bumping his shoulder into hers. "And, did you turn out liking it?"

Thalia frowned. "It's a cool language. But, I'm not good with learning anything, really. Of course, dyslexia makes everything ten times worse."

His eyes widened in surprise. "You have it, too? It's always held me back, but there are several English-sounding words in Spanish, so it makes it slightly easier."

"Our teacher tells us to watch out for our STDs," Thalia announced casually. Percy raised his eyebrows incredulously. "You've obviously gotten the wrong idea. Whenever there is an 'S', 'T', or 'D' after a vowel in French, you aren't supposed to pronounce it. Instead, the vowel that comes before is a nasal vowel."

"For someone who struggles in that class, you seem to retain a great amount of information," he quipped. "It's only been a week."

"I have pretty good memory, when I want to remember things."

"So, let's hear some French."

Thalia snorted. "No way."

"Come on," Percy urged. "We have time before we get to the party. I'll speak Spanish."

Thalia sighed. "Maybe some other time," she said dismissively. "Turn left here."

After walking for another five minutes or so, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and nudged the boy beside her. They stopped in place.

"We're here," Thalia said.

They looked up to see a stark white two-story house with an empty driveway. Teenagers both younger and older than the two lurked in the front yard, toting plastic cups and talking loudly. Music thumped from the inside, sounding incredibly jumbled from where the two of them stood.

Travis approached them, his short curly hair in a mess. "Thalia!" he shouted, spilling a little of his drink. "Guys, Thalia is here!"

A few people glanced over at the boy's outburst, but most of them chose to ignore him. Not even ten minutes into the actual party, and Travis was already trashed.

Bloodshot crystal eyes gazed over Thalia's male companion, and Percy shifted uncomfortably. The dark-haired girl knew that body language like the back of her hand. Percy obviously knew someone close to him that got drunk on a regular basis. Perhaps it was the stepfather that he had mentioned in the past.

"Glad you could make it, pal," Travis slurred, taking a long sip from his cup. "Drinks are inside. And, Mom went through another mental breakdown and purchased a new in-ground pool. Have fun!"

Thalia ruffled his brown locks, stepping past him and making her way into the house. She felt Percy following her closely, and she silently wondered if he planned on doing that the entire night. Didn't he have any other friends he could hang out with?

"Lightning!" Annabeth called out in a goofy accent upon seeing the juvenile enter. "I thought you weren't going to come."

Percy sent Thalia a suspicious look, but she shook it off. "Changed my mind," the dark-haired girl answered. "Percy and I ran into each other and decided to walk here together."

The blonde nodded in understanding, reaching out to hug her male friend. "Hi, Percy," she said, shyly tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Thalia twisted her full lips in something akin to indifference, snatching Annabeth's cup away from her. Without warning, she tipped the entire thing back and chugged the caramel-colored liquid.

She swallowed the drink easily, and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Coke? Luke hasn't gone soft, has he?"

"I care about my grades," Annabeth threw out sheepishly, grabbing the plastic cup back. "Go find your own drink, loser."

The loud song playing over the stereo system suddenly changed, and Thalia allowed a smile to stretch onto her face. Turning away from her conversing friends, she headed into the kitchen in pursue of Luke. Finding him talking to a couple of cheerleaders, she slapped him on the back.

"Incubus?" Thalia asked. "Finally, you see things my way."

Luke's eyes lit up at the sight of her, and he looked away from the two girls he had been talking to. "Actually," he began. "This isn't my CD. One of your new friends brought it. Thankful for that, of course. I haven't got any new music."

One of her new friends? What did he mean by that?

"That would be me," a voice called from behind her. She turned to see that blonde boy—Jason—smiling. "Incubus is one of my favorite bands."

Thalia nodded her head in approval. "Nice," she said. "Gonna be honest here. I didn't expect you to know who they were."

He looked confused. "What did you expect me to listen to?"

"Honestly?"

Jason's face sobered. "Honestly."

"Maybe 'N Sync," Thalia remarked, refraining from laughing at him. Luke, however, wasn't having much luck in that department.

The senior shook his head, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, right. Like your room wasn't littered with posters of Justin Timberlake."

Jason's jaw dropped before he broke out into laughter.

Thalia roughly nudged her best friend. "Luke?" she gritted through her teeth.

"Yes, Mrs. Timberlake?" he mocked, smirking.

"Shut _up_."

"You were obsessed with them!"

"I was seven!" she defended weakly, grabbing a bottle of beer from the huge fridge and using it to mask the beginnings of a frown.

No matter what kind of alcohol worked its way down her throat, it always contained a horrible, lingering flavor upon the first taste. She managed not to make a face, and gulped from the bottle once again. After a few sips, she was fending far better. It had been a while since she had any alcohol, but the taste had never left her.

Jason sent them both a smile. "I'm gonna bounce!" he said over the music, pointing towards the living room. "See you guys later."

"Bye," Thalia said, her expression aloof. Luke settled for a dismissive wave.

The senior turned to face her, crossing his arms over his chest. "So…you came with that Jackson kid?"

Thalia scoffed in disbelief. "What is up with you lately? Ever since I came back, you've been all over my ass about hanging out with people. Is there something you don't like about Percy? Or Jason, for that matter?"

Luke scowled bitterly, shaking his head wildly. "No."

"Then what is it, Luke?" she nearly pleaded. "Seriously. You've never been this way before. Did something strange happen while I was gone that you aren't telling me about?"

"Of course not," the blonde teenager lied, his eyes shifting subtly. She caught it, though, and clucked her tongue in dark humor. "What?" he asked her. "You don't believe me."

Thalia turned a cold glare on him. "Why should I?"

"I don't see why you shouldn't."

"I know when you're lying, Castellan."

Luke sneered. "Your _friends _are looking for you. I suggest you join them. I'm a little preoccupied." He looked back to the cheerleaders, sending the shorter of the two a flirty smile.

Thalia was taken back. What was his problem? He never would have dreamt of lying to her years before. If Luke found a reason to lie to her, she knew it had to be about something serious. She wouldn't press the issue now—not in public—but she would confront him about it in the future.

Without saying goodbye, she walked back into the grand, spacious living room area. The huge black leather couch was filled with freshman and other underclassmen. Thalia approached a shy, pretty brunette.

"Hey, do you think we could split this cushion or something?" she asked, as politely as her gruff voice allowed.

"Sure," came the almost whisper. The girl—who was obviously of some Native descent—scooted as close to the arm of the couch as she could possibly get.

Thalia sat down in the small space provided for her, trying to give the other girl sufficient room. Normally, she wouldn't have bothered with the polite act. Freshman, sophomores, and even some upperclassmen usually hurried to comply whenever she demanded something. But, this whole "kind" thing wasn't so bad after all.

"Thanks," she called out over the guitar riff. "I'm Thalia."

The other girl shook her hand, timidly smiling. "Piper!"

"Nice to meet you!"

"What?"

The juvenile grinned, shaking her head. "Never mind!"

"What?"

Someone shut off the music suddenly, and Thalia surmised they were going to play a completely different genre of music. It happened often at parties.

"I said, it's nice to meet you," she clarified for the younger girl. "You must be one of the new kids here."

Piper glanced around, almost cautiously. "Yeah, I was supposed to start school Tuesday. But, I ended up attending on Thursday."

"Why's that?"

Piper shrugged. "My dad had something to take care of."

Thalia smiled unsurely, nodding her head slowly. "Got cha."

"I've only made one friend here so far," the girl admitted, almost frowning. "Rachel Dare. I can't find her anywhere, though. I thought she'd be here."

"Rachel is…something else," Thalia said, taking a sip from her beer. Piper eyed it with wide eyes, her mouth contorting into a grimace. "Don't knock it," the raven-haired teen teased, smirking when the girl blushed and looked away.

Some rap song blasted, and even though it wasn't Thalia's preferred genre of music, she went along with it. She stood, holding her hand out to her new acquaintance. Piper stared in near-shock, appearing as if she were about three seconds away from cardiac arrest.

Thalia sent her a look of mockery. "Come on, Pocahontas," she taunted. "It's just a dance."

"That's highly offensive."

The juvenile flashed a wicked smile. "Only to the easily offended."

"I don't dance," Piper argued weakly, crossing her arms in front of her protectively.

Thalia sighed, squatting down until she was eye-to-eye with the seated girl. "What could it honestly hurt? You say you only have one friend so far. Mingle."

"I can't dance!"

Again, a devious smile was proudly perched on Thalia's lips. "You can if I'm leading."

Allowing Thalia to lead her to the center of the room, Piper fidgeted under the stares they were attracting.

"Thalia," Piper said shyly, yet loudly enough to be heard over the music. "This is a hip-hop song."

"So?"

"People are grinding!"

The taller girl spun Piper around and placed her hands on the girl's slim hips. "What's to be nervous about? We aren't going to grind, Piper. That's stupid. Relax. It's just a dance."

Honestly, she didn't see why the girl had to be so uptight about everything.

Thalia, far beyond the level of denial riddling her mind, knew she was shamelessly flirting. She couldn't help it. Parties and alcohol always got her into a forward kind of mood. It didn't mean anything, of course. Sure, the girl was attractive in her own light, but Thalia wasn't attracted _to _her. She just felt like dancing. The flirtatious teasing was half the fun.

It took the younger girl a while to warm up to the method of dancing, but Piper was eventually moving rather fluently. Thalia was having just a little bit of difficulty, as she wasn't used to dancing to hip hop and it had been a long while. They didn't exactly promote dancing in juvenile detention centers, last she checked.

The song was nearing its end when Thalia felt a hesitant tap on her shoulder. Percy, pupils larger than usual, smiled.

"Can I have this next dance?" he asked in an inaccurate proper accent. It made her laugh.

Piper was about to sigh in relief, but Jason approached and struck up a conversation with her. Thalia wasn't paying attention to either of them, choosing to finish the rest of her drink.

Thalia smiled back at her friend. "Depends on what the next song is, stud."

Percy laughed. "What about this one?" he asked, when the next song began to play.

She wrinkled her nose, utterly repulsed by the lyrics. "I don't think so," she replied, smirking. "I think I'll hang out around the pool. I haven't seen it yet. Care to join?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I love swimming."

"'Kay, Phelps," she said, leading him into the backyard. It was a large house, but she knew her way around it impressively well. "And, no way in hell we are swimming. It's freaking cold."

He rolled his eyes at her nickname, obviously finding it lame. Even she had to admit that most of her nicknames were.

When they neared the edge of the pool, they saw some of their friends gathered around in a circle. Connor, Annabeth, Phoebe, Katie Gardener, Nico di Angelo, and Grover Underwood all looked up when the dark-haired teens strutted towards them.

"Hey, Thalia," Phoebe greeted apathetically. "Jackson."

Katie—the sweet girl she was—smiled at the newcomers warmly. "Hi, guys."

Katie helped her mother run the biggest flower industry in all of West Manhattan, so she was pretty much perpetually polite.

Thalia wedged herself in between Nico and Annabeth, making sure to thump the former on the back of his head.

"That's from Bianca," she explained, although the girl had never instructed her to do so.

She just felt like being violent. That was another thing alcohol did to her—she turned into a promiscuous, enraged monster. It was possibly a trait from her mother.

Nico grumbled, rubbing the back of his sore skull. "Whatever."

Percy sat down to the left of Grover, nearly smothering Annabeth with his left side. "What are you guys doing out here?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "They wanted to play truth or dare."

Thalia scoffed. "We aren't kindergarteners."

Katie gasped. "It's a classic!"

Connor wagged his eyebrows. It was obvious to Thalia that he was even more intoxicated than his twin brother. Where did Travis disappear to, anyway? "Truth or dare is just another way of getting laid."

Annabeth glared. "That's disgusting."

"Let's just play a drinking game," Grover suggested. Thalia shot him a look, and he paled. "What? I drink!"

"You honestly think you can hold liquor? Maybe a lukewarm beer, kid," the juvenile remarked.

Percy, Nico, Annabeth, and Connor held back their laughs, not wishing to embarrass a close friend of theirs.

Grover reached out from behind him and sat a full bottle of vodka down in the center of their circle. "I guess we'll find out who holds their liquor best." His brown eyes flickered up to the unimpressed Thalia. "Unless, of course…you're afraid, _Grace_."

Thalia stared down at the bottle of liquor, feeling her throat burn even before she dared to drink any. She hadn't had vodka in years, and it was one of the only alcoholic drinks that really screwed her over. She knew she would probably wake up with a major migraine, lounging on a patio chair, with a few articles of clothes missing.

But she was Thalia Grace, and she never turned down a challenge.

Her blues eye rose to glare at Underwood, his expression speaking volumes about how smug he was feeling.

Thalia relaxed her features, continuing to stare in an unimpressed manner. "Pick your poison."

Grover frowned. "What?"

"Pick the game you want to play," Annabeth clarified. "You suggested, so you get to choose."

Grover thought for a while, gazing off as the wind blew a few leaves into the new pool. "Never Have I Ever," he decided, observing the expressions around him. He sneered at Thalia. "I feel like we'll get a lot out of you."

Thalia glowered. "Fine. We'll play that ridiculous game. Just to warn you, we're going to need more than one bottle."

"Perfect!" Jason said, walking towards them with two more bottles.

"Who invited the new kid?" Thalia whispered to Annabeth, causing Nico to snicker off to her left. Jason wasn't necessarily bothersome, but she had a feeling that he wasn't going to enjoy playing a drinking game very much. Kids like him almost never misbehaved.

"I did," Bianca's little brother answered simply. "Jason, sit next to me."

The blonde boy hurried to do as the other boy said, smiling at the rest of them. He placed the two bottles in the center, next to the one Grover brought.

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Sure you can handle drinking, Richie? Mommy and Daddy might be upset with you in the morning."

Jason clenched his jaw, turning his eyes to his sneakers. "I'm not some goody-goody kid. I wish you'd get over that."

Before she could construct another response, Connor clapped his hands together. "Let's get this game started! Who wants to go first?"

Katie raised her hand. "Me!"

Connor pretended to bow. "Go ahead, then."

"Never have I ever…stolen anything!" she said, smiling at what she had managed to come up with.

All of the rest passed the bottle around, each taking a small sip. Thalia, snorting when the liquor was handed to her, tipped it back. She attempted to skip Nico and pass it to Jason, as she had been instructed by Bianca to keep her brother away from alcohol.

Nico reached out and intercepted, taking a small sip of his own. So much for keeping the boy away from trouble. Thalia was dead if Bianca found out.

"I'm next," Phoebe announced, grimacing at the taste of the drink before setting it back down. "Never have I ever broken into a house."

Thalia, Connor and Jason all took a sip. Connor flashed the latter of the three an incredulous look. "_You_ have broken into a house before?"

Jason flushed red. "My girlfriend's. Well…my ex-girlfriend's," he amended sadly.

"She dumped you?" Phoebe guessed, looking smug. "Good. Too many girls trust boys today—"

"My father broke the moving news to me far too late, and I wasn't able to inform Reyna until we moved into the new house," he replied, cutting off her surely snarky statement. "She ended it."

"Grover," Thalia said suddenly, trying to take some attention off of Jason. The poor boy appeared as if he were going to faint from all of the sympathetic gazes. "Are you waiting for the holidays?"

Underwood grumbled, scratching his wiry goatee. "Never have I ever pissed off Zoë Nightshade."

Thalia scoffed as she and Connor downed their respective gulps. Percy thought about the proposal for a moment before he followed suit. Phoebe shrugged, grabbing the bottle.

Jason laughed. "How many people have pissed her off?"

"It's sort of a hobby," Connor answered, smiling mischievously. "Percy, you're next."

"Never have I ever smoked," Percy said.

Thalia paused, setting a hand on Nico's hand when he made to grab the bottle. "Wait, hold up. Smoked what, exactly?"

"Cigarettes."

She took another drink, passing it to Nico. "When have you smoked?" she asked him.

Nico huffed. "I'm a freshman, not a toddler. Bianca has you believing I'm one, apparently."

"Hey, if I had a brother I wouldn't let him drink, either," Thalia claimed.

Annabeth hesitantly took her second sip of the night, not at all enjoying their little game. Katie was going to be the only sober one left by the end of it.

The blonde cleared her throat pointedly, shaking everyone out of their conversations. "Never have I ever…been named Thalia."

"Oh, come on!" the juvenile exclaimed. "You can't do that."

Grover shook his head. "My game, my rules. And, I say she can."

Thalia ran her tongue over her teeth, grumpily lifting the liquor to her lips again. "Have it your way, Underwear."

"Underwood."

"Morning wood."

"Stop that!"

Thalia smirked. "My turn," she said. "Never have I ever been caught trying to install cameras into the girl's locker room."

Grover gasped. "That's not what I was doing!" he defended, but took another sip. "Connor was trying to."

Connor shrugged guilty, a goofy smile on his face. "That I did," he admitted. "Pass the bottle."

Nico spoke next. "Never have I ever stayed up two nights in a row."

Annabeth, Percy, Thalia, and Phoebe obliged once again.

Jason grinned, running a hand through his blonde locks. "Never have I ever played for a…basketball team."

"School team…or?" Connor asked, fingers fumbling over the bottle. "Because Thalia and I have played for county teams."

Annabeth hummed. "Me, too."

"I played in middle school," Percy added.

Jason shook his head, laughing. "Drink up!"

Before anyone could dare snatch the bottle away from Connor, the form of Rachel Elizabeth Dare came sprinting out of the house. The redhead, panting and trying in vain to tame her frizzy locks mid-run, stopped in front of their circle.

"Rach," Nico said in surprise, rising. "What's wrong?"

Rachel wiped at her eyes, which Thalia noticed were rimmed with red—a clear sign that something had upset her. Her glittering pale green eyes met the juvenile's, and the latter felt a sense of panic flood through her. Whatever had gotten the redhead so upset obviously had something to do with her.

"Thalia," Rachel said, hurrying to compose her breathing long enough to explain. "You're needed inside."

Thalia swallowed. "What?" she asked, her voice sounding embarrassingly hoarse. "What do you mean, Red? What for?"

Rachel frowned sympathetically. "Someone is here to see you, and they don't seem very pleased."


	6. Stirring Trouble

**A/N: A good amount of confusion and action in this chapter. Even though things seem scattered now, everything will be readdressed later on. Sorry for the wait. Please feel free to drop a review. It would make my day.**

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns the PJO series and all of its characters. I'm just using them shamelessly.**

* * *

"Why was I the last to know of your return?" a twenty-year-old brunette paced the length of Connor's bedroom, his bluish gray eyes clearly displaying his intoxicated state. "You don't think I deserved to know?"

Thalia fidgeted beneath his gaze, taking a seat on the silver-sheeted bed. When she didn't answer, the man walked closer until they were nearly a breath away. She quickly rolled her eyes, pushing him away by his chest.

"Answer me, Thalia," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for discussion.

The juvenile sighed tiredly, ruffling her own hair. "I don't know what to say."

"An apology would work."

"You didn't even come to visit me," she said. "You didn't even make an attempt. You knew I was going to get busted for what we did, and yet you—"

He turned on her suddenly, his expression almost one of panic. "Don't say it," he warned. "We swore not to mention it again. I—I…it was an accident. You know that."

"I do know," she agreed. "But, no one else does."

"Good," he said, nodding. "And, they will never find out. You know how much it would ruin me. I can't afford to go to prison. Not now. I just got accepted into NYU."

The dark-haired girl wasn't surprised by his statement. He had always been so self-centered. Even when they were growing up, the only thing he had ever been interested in was gaining a sense of arrogance to mask his insecurities. She felt that perhaps deep-down he wasn't so self-oriented. But, he would never reveal enough of himself to actually prove that theory.

Thalia glowered. "Don't worry about your _career_," she spat, her words registering just as venomously as her azure glare. "I've already served the full sentence. No one even knows why I was in there in the first place. Only Mom knows."

He exhaled heavily. Clenching his fists tightly, he stiffly took a seat to the right of her. "It's not like you were innocent. Not completely, anyway. It was also your idea. You let your anger get the best of you."

"What are you even doing here? Does Luke know you're here?"

He ignored her question. His fists unraveled, and he buried his distressed face within the comfort of his calloused palms.

"You know, it's actually pretty creepy that you and your jackass friends attend high school parties," she remarked thoughtfully, flashing him a small smirk. "You might get _arrested _for fucking a minor if you don't watch yourself."

His face reddened in anger, and he hastily stood. Walking to the door, he slung it open. Before walking out, he chanced looking back at the scowling teenager. "Just keep your mouth shut. If I hear you told anyone, Thalia, I'll come after you myself."

Thalia kept her expression steely. "Shut the door," she commanded, standing from the bed.

She was done being subordinate to him. All of her young life, he had always been the strong one of the two. She had always followed his examples—unfortunately, that very fact was what had led her to her previous arrest. Thalia was done abiding by his rules.

"Excuse you?" he questioned incredulously, although he obeyed. He leaned against the door, staring at her hostilely.

"Just to be clear," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You aren't the fucking boss of me. I'm not going to snitch, but don't you are—for a second—think you hold some goddamn rank over me. If it weren't for me, your sorry ass would be rotting behind bars."

"I wasn't the only one who hurt—"

"Don't," she cut him off. "If I can't mention it, you can't mention it. We'll try and move past this. Until we're completely over it, though, stay the hell away from me and my family."

"They're my family, too, you know," he argued, his face reddening. "You can't keep me away from them."

Thalia smiled grimly. "You have your own family. It's time you make an attempt to be with them. Nevaeh doesn't need a bad influence like you in her life. You already screwed me over."

"Just like you to blame me for all of your fucking problems, Lia," he snapped. "You could never take responsibility for your actions."

Thalia glared, shoving him away from the door before she opened it. "Perhaps due to the fact that I was too busy taking responsibility for yours." Before exiting, she slapped him on the shoulder. "I'll see you later, Hercules."

Hercules grumbled as she walked out. "Apollo wanted me to tell you to give him a call."

The juvenile struggled to keep a lid on her temper as she made her way back outside. She suspected that her new acquaintances hadn't waited on her return. A good number of them were probably already drunk off their tails. She snickered at the thought of a drunken Percy Jackson. It would surely be nothing short of hilarious for her to witness.

Jason's head perked up as she entered the yard again, making her way to the poolside. He waved her down, obviously having consumed a little too much alcohol. Thalia sighed. Their little game was doomed to turn sexual. She just hoped that when it reached that point she would be too drunk to notice a difference. Being the only sober person in a group was always awkward. Of course, she had never been in the situation before.

Percy sent her a small smile, his eyes shining in concern. She wished they wouldn't ask her what had happened. There was no way in hell she was going to tell anyone. She and her cousin Hercules had sworn to keep the events of that dreadful night a secret, and that's what she intended to do. The best way to move past something was to ignore it, right?

Thalia sat to the right of Annabeth, her thigh rubbing up against Percy's as she lowered herself to the ground. She felt his stare on her, but she didn't dare attempt to make eye contact. She scanned the faces of everyone in the circle. They were all staring at her, expecting her to fill their ears with information that wasn't any of their concern.

Thalia smirked, trying to make everyone believe she was in a good mood. In reality, she was surprised she hadn't turned red in her anger. "Who's next?"

Rachel, who had taken Thalia's spot next to Nico, flashed a look of disbelief. Rather than call Thalia's bluff, the redhead released a calm breath of air, setting the bottle of vodka back in the middle of the circle.

"Never have I ever," Rachel said, her voice holding an almost unnoticeable slur. "Um…kissed a girl!"

Thalia rolled her bright blue eyes. It was already getting sexual. She should have expected as much. The dark-haired juvenile snatched up the bottle when everyone else hesitated, and took an impressive sip. Her friends eyed her in surprise, but she shrugged it off.

"I have a lot of drinking to catch up with," she excused.

Annabeth smirked, shaking her head. The blonde reached over for the bottle next, taking a sip before passing it to Nico. Connor and Jason gulped their respective sips before the beverage was passed to Percy. The handsome teen paled in his cheeks. He seemed reluctant to drink any of the alcoholic substance.

Suddenly, the effects of the liquor and a realization hit Thalia at the same time.

"You've never kissed anyone," she claimed, not noticing she had spoken out loud. Percy met her eyes and glowered harshly, and she instantly felt bad. "Really?"

It was hard to believe. Percy was attractive. And, it could have been the alcohol talking, but Thalia wouldn't pass up a chance to make out with him. The brunette mentally scoffed. It was _definitely _the vodka talking. She openly checked him out, not caring that everyone was taking notice. He was actually quite…fit. Why in the world hadn't she ever noticed in the past?

Grover snickered. "Wipe the drool off your mouth, Thalia."

"I don't drool," the raven-haired girl defended immediately, although she didn't tear her gaze away from a blushing Percy. Without warning, she tore the bottle from the boy's hands, taking a large drink. She sat it back down, lightly biting down on her bottom lip as she raised an eyebrow in Percy's direction. "Let's move on, guys."

Nico cleared his throat pointedly, looking extremely uncomfortable. Thalia noted that he wasn't as drunk as the rest of them. At least, it didn't show prominently in his voice. "Never have I ever masturbated with someone else in the room."

Thalia couldn't help it. She cracked up with laughter. Connor, Jason, Percy, and Grover followed suit. Phoebe looked insanely uncomfortable, grimacing in disgust at the statement. From her appearance, the brunette would have to assume that she hadn't had much to drink either. Katie was blushing immensely, but she had not consumed any vodka. Thalia doubted the girl had ever had any alcohol.

"You little pervert!" Connor accused, chuckling. He took a sip, and everyone eyed him strangely. "What? Travis and I are very close in age. Sometimes it's like he doesn't even notice my presence."

Thalia wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Whatever, dude. That's sick."

"It happens!"

"Boys are disgusting," Phoebe butted in, her voice holding no recognizable emotion. She looked to Katie. "Didn't I tell you? You don't need boys, Katie. Men are all animals."

Percy smiled goofily, glancing over to Thalia. "I want to be a bunny."

The so-called confession made the dark-haired girl erupt into laughter. Phoebe shot her a disgruntled look, but it only made her laugh more. She noticed that everyone but the Virtuous One and Rachel were laughing. The redhead clearly hadn't had anything to drink yet, but she was too busy gazing around at the scenery to listen to what was going on.

"Let's play a different game," Grover proposed. "This is getting too dull. There's not much else to say."

Jason gave a small smile, obviously considering some kind of idea. Connor looked dumbfounded, which was typical. Annabeth frowned in thought, trying to come up with something. Rachel continued to glance off into space, and Nico had joined her at some point. Phoebe's face turned sour, and it was clear that she didn't particularly care for any game that involved socializing with males. Katie stood, her legs appearing a bit shaky.

"I have to go, you guys," she said, checking over her phone. "My sister Miranda is in front of the house. She's going to drive me home. I'll see you all later."

Connor grunted. "Make sure you bid Romeo farewell."

It was only apparent to Thalia who he was referring to. Travis had the biggest crush on Katie, but the girl didn't even realize it. The sweet girl donned a look of confusion as she waved to them all. After they all told her goodbye, she headed back into the house.

"Someone pick a freaking game already!" Grover started the conversation up again.

Jason smirked, and it through Thalia for a loop. Had the alcohol reformed him or something? A goody two shoes didn't sport that kind of look.

"You ever watch Whose Line Is It Anyway?" he asked, looking around the circle. Everyone but Phoebe and Nico nodded. "Well, they do this Irish Drinking song skit. Basically, they form a song line-by-line. The first person starts it off, and then they go through the line of people over and over again."

"Hell no," Phoebe declared, standing. "See you later, Thalia, Rachel, Annabeth."

Everyone noted that she only said goodbye to the females.

"Sexist," Connor muttered.

Grover, eyes wide in wonder, gestured with his hands urgently. "Go on!"

Jason shook his head, chuckling. "We can do that. But, here's the catch. Whoever fails to make a line rhyme has to take three sips. Only four can play, though."

Connor grinned. "Sounds like a game to be, my man! Thals, dude, why haven't we thought of this?"

Thalia shrugged in response, not at all looking forward to their little game. She would definitely need more alcohol in her system before she allowed herself to participate. Reaching forward, she gulped down an impressive amount. No one spared her a second glance as she did so, and she was grateful for that.

Her skin hummed and her heart buzzed. Thalia let a smile drift onto her face. It had really been far too long. Rubbing her hands together she looked to the tall blonde boy. His eyes were gleaming in excitement. What could be so exciting about some stupid singing game? She was already almost full-blooded Irish. She didn't need to participate in some sing-a-long to prove it.

Annabeth said, "Rachel and I vote out of this. Two more people and you'll have four."

Nico raised his hand before Thalia could. "I'll be out."

She was about to speak again, but Connor beat her to it. "I want to see how it works out first," he claimed, scooting slightly away from the circle.

"Goddamn," the juvenile muttered. "Rat bastard."

"What's the rhyme sham?" Percy questioned, his interest peeked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Scheme. You're even more of an idiot when you're drunk."

"The first line is stated, and then the second. The fourth line has to rhyme with the second, and the third doesn't really matter. We have no music, but I'm sure we can work around that," Jason said, answering Percy's earlier question.

"Who wants to start?" Grover asked, smiling drunkenly.

"Jason should," Connor suggested. "He knows the game better."

The blonde boy nodded to himself, wringing his hands together in thought. "Okay, I got it now. By the way, you aren't allowed to pause or delay too long."

Everyone around him nodded. "Let's get this started," Connor urged. "It's gonna be hilarious. We'll work clockwise."

Jason cleared his throat. "Anyone want to suggest a topic?"

"Killing the moron who came up with this?" Thalia muttered to Percy, causing him to shoot her a look of disbelief.

Connor snickered. "How's about men?"

Thalia laughed. "It's too damn bad Phoebe is missing out on this."

Jason nodded, smiling. "I think I got this. Ready?" They nodded. "Men are real big jerks, and they all just want sex," he sang.

Thalia smirked at the way his voice quivered. Grover nervously sang next, "Hmm…the sex depends on if we've seen her."

Percy slurred, "Uh…not all guys are like the rest."

"Grover has a really small wiener?" Thalia concluded.

Underwood glared in her direction, and the rest of them burst into tipsy laughter. Percy suddenly clutched his stomach, standing quickly to his feet. They all looked to him in concern, but he sprinted away from them, shouting that he was going to be sick.

Rachel frowned, watching him leave. "Thalia," she said. "Would you mind going to check on him? He probably doesn't even know where the bathroom is."

Thalia grumbled a few complaints, but followed after him. It was extremely hard to say no to Rachel Elizabeth Dare, especially when she appeared so concerned. She was used to seeing the redhead happy and peppy.

The juvenile worked her way through the impressive clutter of grinding teenagers, her blue eyes searching for Percy. Luke stumbled right out in front of her, and clasped her elbow. He chuckled drunkenly, his pupils blown. She automatically came to the conclusion that he had consumed much more than alcohol. She ripped away from him, not in the mood to deal with a inebriated and high Luke Castellan.

"Thalia, baby!"

She grimaced. "Luke, you're fucking nuts."

"Nucking futs," he corrected. "Hey, Thalia, I wanna nuck you."

"Whatever," she scoffed, brushing past him forcefully. "I'll talk to you when you're sober."

Thalia always hated whenever Luke was under the influence. He grew horny and irritating, and was unwilling to leave her alone. She really didn't want to bruise or batter her best friend, so she hurried away as fast as possible. Unfortunately, she wasn't watching where she was going and roughly bumped into a girl.

Thalia glanced up at her. She was about to apologize, but it died in her throat. "Clarisse," she stated, her voice neutral. "Sorry about that. Wasn't watching where I was walking."

The tough brunette was even taller than the juvenile. If there was someone that was feared over Thalia, it was Clarisse La Rue. The girl ran one of the scariest gangs around the area, and everyone knew better than to mess with her. Thalia wasn't scared of her…okay, so she kind of was. But, she was still on Clarisse's good side.

La Rue sighed, crushing the empty beer can in her hand. "Grace," at the sound of her last name, Thalia bit back a growl, "don't worry about it. You're lucky you aren't the punk I'm looking for tonight."

Thalia shook off her irritation with a laugh. "Oh?" she asked, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Who got on your bad side today?"

"This person has been on my bad side since the moment we met," the girl answered, anger adding a threatening quiver to her voice. "When I get my hands on him, I'm going to wring his neck. His name is Percy Jackson."

Thalia swallowed anxiously. "Uh…who is that?"

Clarisse smirked. "Oh, please, Thalia. You've been hanging out with him and his little friends. Everyone knows you've gone soft."

Thalia could no longer hear the music around them. Her cold gaze focused on the girl, and she tried to keep herself from starting a physical fight. One thing she would never stand for was someone implying she was weak. She had worked hard for her reputation, even if teachers and adults didn't view it as particularly healthy. She'd be damned if she let it just slip away from her.

"Soft?" she echoed, her voice like steel.

Clarisse raised an eyebrow and sneered. "Yeah. It's kind of pitiful, actually. I've never particularly liked you, but now my boys and I have a reason to hate you. You're soft like baby food."

"Well, I've never been one to starve a child," Thalia quipped, feeling the rage stir inside of her.

Her fist was planted in the taller girl's jaw before she had time to react. Clarisse let the pain settle in, throwing the can at the back of some freshman's head. The glare Thalia received was enough to send a shiver down her spine, but there was no way in hell she was going to back down.

The music was shut off, and a crowd of drunken teenagers surrounded them, pointing and staring.

Clarisse pulled her fist back and slammed it into Thalia's face. Her teeth rattled and her cheek throbbed in pain, but the juvenile retaliated with a vicious uppercut. Dodging one of the girl's kicks, Thalia grabbed her arm and used it to turn Clarisse around. She tugged on the arm unforgivingly, hearing the bone of her shoulder give out underneath the applied pressure.

Clarisse snarled, wrenching her arm away and snatching Thalia by her short hair. She used her hold to throw the juvenile to the ground, and straddled her immediately. Clarisse wasn't overweight, but she donned impressive muscle. Thalia felt herself ripped of breath as the girl rained down punch after punch, all of them hitting their target. Even with a dislocated shoulder, La Rue was kicking her ass.

The anger reached a boiling point and Thalia caught one of the punches in the palm of her hand. She wrapped her fingers around it and reached up with her free arm to knock Clarisse to the side. After thrashing around and throwing random punches, she was able to get the larger girl to roll off of her. She sprung on the opportunity to mount Clarisse, wrapping her slender fingers around her vulnerable throat. The other girl bucked and strained, but Thalia successfully avoided every wild defense.

"Get off of her!" a voice yelled. "You're hurting her!"

The juvenile didn't bother looking up. She knew it could only be Chris Rodriguez, boyfriend of Clarisse. She was done listening to anyone. She had finally gotten the upper hand on the other girl. She wasn't about to reinforce the rumor of her being a softy by releasing La Rue.

Clarisse turned red, and spat at her. Thalia applied even more force behind the choke, but soon felt herself being pulled to her feet. The arms were strong and she wasn't able to fight the person off, but she tried. She heard her cousin's voice in her ear.

"Stop struggling, stupid!" Hercules hissed. "You really need to get in trouble for that again?"

Thalia fell out of his hold and glared at him, pushing him back. "Leave me alone," she snarled, storming up the stairs. He didn't make an effort to follow her, and she praised every god she could think of for that. She had dealt with him enough.

She remembered why she had entered the house in the first place. She had to find Percy and make sure he was okay or whatever. The alcohol in her sister prodded at her to go back down stairs and finish Clarisse off, but she urgently fought against the urge. She couldn't believe she had once again let her anger get the best of her. Hardly a week after being released, she was already on the road back to destruction.

Making her way to the main bathroom, she knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a slightly disheveled Percy Jackson, his hair in a mess and his face abnormally pale. Thalia grimaced, but tried to look more concerned than anything. There was no use in pissing off more than two people in one night.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" she asked, walking inside and shutting the door behind her.

"I didn't throw up. The urge is gone," he responded briskly. "What happened to your face?"

She flushed red, pushing him aside to glance into the mirror. The area around her left eye was gradually darkening, and her jaw was bruised. Her entire face was red, and not just from blushing. She didn't feel any pain, but adrenaline was still coursing through her veins. She knew it wouldn't be long before the effects of the fight really kicked in.

"Got in a little fight," she excused, brushing off the subject. "So, you aren't nauseous anymore?"

He shook his head. "No, not anymore." It was obvious he hadn't wanted to end the conversation of the fight, but he allowed her to ignore it. "Can we…not go back downstairs, though? I think I might need to lie down."

Thalia's eyebrows drew in confusion, but she nodded slowly. "Yeah. Uh, sure. Follow me."

She led him out of the bathroom and into Travis' room, which she knew wouldn't be occupied. Travis stayed up later than everyone else and never got laid. With a smirk, she recalled the times that she had taken people into his room. If he had any idea, he would murder her.

Percy was instructed to lie back beneath the covers, and he did so eagerly. Thalia made to walk out of the door, but he called her back. His voice sounded almost nervous, and she spun around to face him.

"Can you stay here? I don't want to accidentally fall asleep in here and piss Travis off."

Thalia snickered. "Yeah, we wouldn't want that." She walked back to the bed and sat on the opposite side, glancing out the window.

"Thalia?"

She didn't bother turning around. "Yeah?"

"You can lie down, you know. I don't bite," he replied in amusement.

Thalia relaxed her body onto the bed, lying on her side. She was facing him, smirking over at him. "You aren't the one I'm worried about."

Good goddess, she suddenly noticed how turned on she was. Percy wasn't all that bad looking, really. He was actually pretty handsome, and he had a muscular form. Nine times out of ten, she somehow managed to get sex after drinking.

Something was holding her back from making a move on him, though. Perhaps it was because she didn't feel like she should, with him being so friendly with her and all. She had a feeling that he wasn't the type of guy that would be perfectly fine with a one-night-stand.

Thalia tried in vain to suppress her arousal, attempting to focus on just talking to him instead. Maybe merely hanging out with a friend wouldn't be so bad. It was different than what she was used to, but it had potential. If all else failed, she would just make out with someone after Percy got to feeling better. She didn't want to ditch him, after all.

Percy blushed, turning his gaze to the ceiling. "You know, I feel like I've known you for longer than I have."

Thalia leaned up on her elbow, sitting her cheek in the palm of her hand. "You might. You watch that show Cops much?"

He snorted. "Aren't you a natural comedian?" She shrugged. "Seriously, though. I feel so much closer to you than I would anyone else. We've only known one another for a week."

"I…guess I can sort of see that," she said slowly. "I don't usually go out of my way to spend time with people, especially people I've recently met."

"You feel it, too?"

Thalia laughed dryly. "Don't act like we've got some kind of deep-rooted feelings going on. It's just one of those strange things, I suppose. Maybe we just have a lot in common or something. I don't know."

Percy frowned. "I like you, Thalia. I don't know if I like you, like you. But, I know that I like you enough to want to hang out with you. You honestly can lie here and tell me that you don't think we could ever become anything?"

"You say you haven't gotten your first kiss yet," she stated randomly, her eyes tracing the length of his face.

She hadn't liked where there conversation had been heading. Thalia was used to casual sex and hook-ups. She didn't like relationships. She had never been in one, and she had no desire to. People got hurt that way. By opening herself up to someone so intimately, she was only going to screw herself over in the end. There was no point to romance or feelings. After all she had seen happen to her mother, she wasn't positive that she even wanted someone to love her. Thalia didn't want to love anyone.

Not knowing what else to do in the situation, she decided to turn everything into something she was comfortable with.

Percy's eyes cast downward, settling on her full lips. She knew that look all too well. His throat shifted as he gulped. "No," he said. "I haven't had my first kiss yet."

Thalia slung her jacket off, setting it on the bed post. He eyed her suspiciously as she laid back one again. "Would you like to?"

He appeared slightly pained. Looking to the other side of the room, he pulled the blanket further up his body. "Thalia, this isn't such a good idea."

"Just trying to help you out, loser," she insulted, her cheeks flaring in aggravation. She had gotten angry far too many times that night, and she knew she would wake up feeling absolutely horrible. "Do you always make things so damn complicated?"

Percy glared at her. "I'm the one making things complicated?"

Thalia pressed her eyelids together, trying to calm her breathing. She climbed off of the bed and slung her jacket back on. She wasn't going to stick around and deal with this bullshit. She was trying to do one nice thing, and he had to ruin it. He had seemed like a promising friend, but she had come to the conclusion that she had been wrong.

She had already gotten her face mutilated, she was in an in-and-out drunken state, and she was in a sexually driven mood. Thalia knew she would hate herself for it later, but she was going to end up sleeping with someone at the party. It sure as hell wouldn't be Percy Jackson.

"Fuck you," she told him, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

It seemed that reforming herself was a hopeless cause. Imprisonment hadn't been enough to change her, and nothing ever would. She had no other choice but to go back to her old ways. She wouldn't be happy, but at least she wouldn't feel so lost.

Thalia had enough for the night. All she wanted to do now was get drunk, get laid, and get gone.


	7. Ancestry

**A/N: Been a while, I know, but I'm catching up on both this story and Kings of Olympus. I've unintentionally neglected the two. Whoops. Anyway, not so sure I liked how this chapter turned out, but Jupiter finally comes into the picture. Sorry if anything sounds confusing, but I'll do my best to clarify in the next few chapters. Oh, and I didn't take the time to review much of this, so there might be mistakes.**

** Let me know what you think?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, and I am most certainly not Rick Riordan.**

* * *

Thalia woke up with an intense throbbing in her temple. Her eyes blinked heavily, and she groaned in frustration. Her vision was unfocused when she finally managed to keep her lids from closing abruptly, and her eyes were watering. The ceiling was a white blur, and she couldn't even make out the texture of the design. But, she instantly recognized what room she was in.

Luke's.

The dark-haired teen visibly winced, slowly turning to face the person she felt next to her. Messy blond locks met her worried gaze, and she swallowed anxiously. She really, really hoped she hadn't slept with Luke Castellan.

He was like her best friend, but he had a problem with growing attached to the girls he had sex with. They had fooled around when they were younger and experimental, but she would never dream of having sex with him. It just wasn't…_right_.

For some strange reason, her mind fluttered to Percy. Anger quickly replaced her trepidation. It started to wash away when she pondered why she was mad in the first place. Because he had turned her down? Because she left him to sleep with someone who may or may not be Luke? Because he had implied that he wanted to start something more with her?

Thalia steeled her nerve and leaned towards the slumbering figure. She had to find out who it was. She had to make sure it wasn't her best friend. The sheet slid down to reveal that she wore no clothing. She set an uneasy hand on the sun-kissed shoulder in front of her, using the position as leverage to view the person's face. The raven-haired girl released a quiet breath of relief.

It wasn't anyone she recognized—meaning, it wasn't Luke. It seemed as if even her drunken alter ego had some sort of common sense. The boy was good looking, she supposed. He had long eyelashes and a goatee. He appeared slightly older than her, but not by much. The boy was fit, but not necessarily ripped.

Thalia sighed quietly, climbing out from underneath the blankets. She couldn't spot any of her clothes in the room, so she resorted to what she usually did—stealing one of her friend's outfits. She carefully and almost silently walked over to Luke's dresser and began rifling through his belongings. She slipped on a pair of his boxers and sweatpants. It wasn't weird for her. They had grown up together, after all. They had taken part in too many sleepovers to count.

Not finding a comfortable shirt in the dresser, Thalia made her way towards the closet to find something else. She didn't bother with studying the design of the olive green shirt she pulled over her head. Smiling when she spotted her jacket on the ground, she slung it on. Her cell phone was sitting next to it, and she wrapped her fingers around it and lifted it.

Thalia crept out of the room, being careful not to wake the sleeping boy. After exiting the house, she yawned loudly. Luke's shirt rode up her abdomen as she stretched her arms up above her. Her phone suddenly rang, and it wasn't a number she had programmed into her contacts. Figuring she might as well answer it, the cleared her throat before accepting the call.

"_Thalia, baby._"

"Mom?" Thalia asked, her eyes clearly displaying her shock.

"_No, it's fuckin' Santa Claus,_" came her mother's snide reply. Thalia rolled her eyes, even though she knew her mother couldn't see her. "_Where are you? Where did you go last night?_"

"I went to Luke's party," Thalia admitted. She rarely ever bothered lying to her mother. It's not like the woman could rightfully judge her. "I just walked out of his house."

The blonde woman hummed. "_How is May doing?_"

"She's okay, I guess. She wasn't exactly there."

"_I'm on my way home,_" her mother changed the subject. "_Do you need me to pick ya up?"_

Thalia's mind went blank. "What?" she asked numbly, not at all believing what she had just heard. "What did you say?"

"_I said, do you want a ride home?_"

Immediately assuming her mother was trying to get something out of her, she declined the offer. "Thanks, anyway," she added afterwards, part of her feeling bad. What if her mother was actually attempting to reach out to her?

Thalia could practically see her mother shrugging. "_Suit yourself, baby. You need to head home. I'm on my way._"

"I had Bianca watching over Vaeh."

Her mother hesitated to say anything. Was she angry? "_All right,_" she said. "_Be home soon._"

Thalia hung up. Tucking her phone in between the boxers and the sweatpants she was wearing, crossed her arms over her chest. It confused her that her mother would bother to call and offer something so…well, _motherly._

Her mom had never cared before when she was to return home, if she bother to go home. She had never received calls from her, either, unless her mother wanted something. Never, ever had Seraphina thought to ask if she could do something for her daughter. It was strange, and it bewildered Thalia immensely. Something had to be up. Had her mother broken the law? Was she just sucking up to Thalia, in order to break their relationship back down again?

She began to walk across the driveway, her thoughts clouded, but someone's hand clasped around her elbow. She held her breath, hoping it wasn't Percy. The son of a bitch had pissed her off enough for a day.

"Hey, sorry if I scared you," Jason apologized as his blonde head swiveled into her line of sight. "I just saw you about to walk home, and decided to ask you if you wanted a ride."

"Nah." He flashed her a look of disbelief. "No, really, I'm good," she insisted.

Jason shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "My father is swinging by to pick me up. It's really no problem. He would be okay with dropping you off at your place. He may look pretty tough, but he's polite to strangers."

Thalia was about to decline again, but then allowed herself to actually consider the offer. It was a grueling walk home, especially with a dreadful hangover. "If he's okay with it, and you're sure it won't be an inconvenience, I would appreciate a ride."

Thalia didn't like to mooch off people. Her mother did that enough.

Jason grinned. "All right! Dad will go easier on the lecture now."

Thalia simply rolled her eyes, sitting down on the driveway. He followed her example, crossing his legs. Jason's fingers fiddled with the dandelions to the left of the driveway, pulling at them and tugging them from the ground. Thalia watched him in curiosity, wondering why the hell he was playing with flowers. Shaking her head, she decided not to pay any attention to him.

"So…uh, if you don't mind me asking," the blonde began, and the brunette mentally prepared herself for whatever question he was going to ask. "What pulled you away from our games last night?"

She didn't normally share any family information with anyone, let alone someone she hardly knew, but she found herself admitting the truth anyway. "My cousin Hercules. He didn't know I was back in town, and he and I just talked."

Jason's eyebrows furrowed. "The way Rachel told you…it sounded like she was sending you to your execution."

Thalia scowled, bristled by his prying. "Rachel is a drama dweeb," she replied offhandedly, her tone warning him to back off. "She overreacts to everything."

"Wait…your cousin Hercules?"

She nodded slowly, warily. He couldn't possibly know Hercules, could he? Well, on second thought, her cousin was pretty known around New York. With a name like that, it was hard not to be.

"That's my older brother's name," Jason said, his eyes wide. "He lives in San Fran, though, the last time I checked."

"My cousin has never lived in San Fran," Thalia said. "I don't think. This conversation is getting a little weird, and extremely confusing. Can we just stop?"

Jason frowned, his confident posture deflating before her narrowed eyes. "Yeah, okay," he said dejectedly, flinging down the last flower in his hand. "That's Dad now," he changed the subject, pointing to a sleek black Mercedes.

Thalia swallowed, feeling suddenly anxious. She wasn't sure why, but the sight of the driver sent a strange chill of recognition through her. Jason's father stepped out of the car, eyeing the two teenagers. His electric blue eyes lingered longer than was appropriate on Thalia, and he raised an eyebrow in an almost skeptical matter.

He was taller—taller than her, even—and dressed in a crisp, pinstripe blue and slate gray suit. His hair was neatly styled, no doubt held together with some kind of gel that was worth more than Thalia's life. His beard was even neater, if it was possible. It wasn't obsessively long, nor was it unkempt. His shoes shined brightly in the morning sun, and his blinding white smile spread open before the two of them.

"Jason," the man spoke, deeper than anyone Thalia had ever heard. "Who is your friend?"

Jason smiled, almost shakily. He looked to the dark-haired girl, urging her forward. She stepped up to the man, outstretching a hand. "Thalia," she introduced, not bothering to give her last name. "And, you?"

Jason's father shook her hand determinedly, eyeing her straight-on. "You have a firm grip, young lady," he complimented. "I am Jupiter Grace. You might have heard of me."

Thalia smirked. "No, sir, I cannot say that I have."

Jupiter disguised a scowl. "Oh, well. Will we be giving you a ride?" Thalia hesitated to answer. "Oh, I insist! Jason, she's sitting up front." Jason made to protest, but was quickly silenced by a cold cerulean glare.

"Yes, father," Jason mumbled.

Thalia sat in the passenger side whenever Jupiter encouraged her to. Once they were all in the Mercedes, the man gunned the engine and began to drive off at a surely illegal speed. The dark-haired girl smartly held her tongue, knowing that she should never look a gift horse—even a possibly insane one—in the mouth.

"Where are you living?" Jason's father asked, brushing back a strangely unruly bang. Huh. Maybe his hair gel wasn't that impressive. She told him, and he seemed to freeze. His fingers were clenched uncomfortably around the wheel. Eventually, he managed to control his minor mental breakdown. He hummed thoughtfully. "I know that neighborhood well."

Jason tensed in the backseat, but Thalia pretended not to notice. Man, their family was weird. She was glad his mother wasn't with them. She'd hate to see what the woman was like. When Jupiter pulled over into the grass in front of her house, he scanned his surroundings cautiously.

Thalia cleared her throat, opening her door. "Well, thank you for the ride, Mr. Grace," she said, before looking back to Jason. "See you, Jase."

"Bye," the blonde replied, tight-lipped.

Jupiter nodded professionally. "Have a nice evening, Thalia."

The dark-haired girl shut the door behind her, hurriedly crossing over to her driveway. She rushed into her house, slamming the door and locking it behind her. She hadn't seen her mother's vehicle outside, which wasn't anything unusual. Still, she had expected her mother to beat her home.

Thalia walked into the living room, instantly smirking at the sight of all three girls passed out on the floor. The main menu to _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_ was on the TV screen, and she didn't hesitate to turn it off. They had let Nevaeh watch that? She shrugged to herself. She would have probably allowed worse.

Bianca snored loudly, the lower half of her body slung uncomfortably over Zoë's. Nevaeh had most of their little pallet to herself, hogging all of the blankets and pillows. Thalia nearly laughed. The two of them were certainly related.

Not wanting to wake Zoë—she was a fucking demon whenever she first got up—Thalia shook Bianca gently by her shoulder. The girl stirred, before her eyes blinked heavily and opened completely. She seemed surprise at the sight of the other girl, and she sat up.

"You're home already?" she asked in bewilderment.

Thalia resisted the urge to scowl. "Yeah," she answered. "My mother is going to be home soon, if you two want to go ahead and get out of dodge."

"Sure, Thalia," Bianca replied, standing completely and reaching out for Zoë. "We'll get out of your hair. Nevaeh was an absolute angel, by the way."

Thalia smiled fondly at her little sister, allowing a softer side of herself to show. "She usually is."

After Zoë woke up, the two girls departed. Nevaeh continued to slumber peacefully, which was unusual for a child so young. Her mother arrived minutes later, quietly entering the house and setting her keys on the kitchen counter.

"Vaeh is sleeping," Thalia murmured, barely able to be heard.

"Who drove you home?" her mother whispered harshly. The look of anger in her eyes startled her daughter. "Who?" she repeated whenever the girl didn't answer.

"I got a ride from a friend," Thalia admitted unsurely. "Why?"

"Terry across the street said you rode up in a Mercedes," her mother snapped. "Some friend."

"Ma, why are you even mad?" Thalia inquired heatedly, making sure to keep her voice low. "I didn't even do anything!"

"You refused a ride from your _mother, _got a ride with a complete stranger—"

"You have no right to be angry with me!" Thalia whispered venomously. "And, besides, he wasn't really a stranger. I got a ride with my friend and his father."

"Oh, yeah? I bet you don't even know their names!"

"Yes, I actually do," her daughter replied angrily. "It was my friend Jason. His father is Jupiter Grace, and he is some big business man or something."

Her mother froze, her face paling. "What?" she asked numbly, almost inaudibly. "What did you just say?"

* * *

Jupiter drove back to their mansion, his fists clenched. The moment he saw that girl, he knew it had to be his niece. His twin brother Zeus and he had bedded with the same woman years before—at different times, of course—and Thalia had been the offspring of his brother. Jason had come years later, although he had led to boy to believe that Hera was his mother.

So, Jason and Thalia were half-siblings. They were both technically illegitimate, but he hadn't wanted Jason to know of his true bloodline. Zeus, however, had actually fallen in love with the TV scarlet. Jupiter and the Board of Members of Kronos Incorporated—the company that had once been owned and operated by their father—had practically forced Zeus away from Seraphina and their daughter Thalia.

If this girl was coming back into their lives, it could surely mean nothing good. And, if Zeus were to find out…well, that would just be the icing on top of the cake. He would heroically charge into his daughter's house, proclaiming his love for Seraphina, and attempt to provide for his illegitimate family.

Jupiter snickered, shaking his head at the thought of his brother. Zeus was far too sentimental and regretful. Jupiter had never allowed someone to hold him back, but his brother found himself dragged back down time and time again. It was a good thing that the Board of Members had regulated Zeus in time, before he managed to become too involved. They had an important business to run, and an even more brilliant image to withhold.

He hadn't expected to ever come across his niece. The only time he had ever seen her was when she was young, too young to even remember him. He didn't look all that different from his brother, anyway. Their skin tone was the only major difference.

Seraphina would surely be the biggest concern. She recalled both Zeus and himself, and she had always been able to tell them apart. If only he had known ahead of time that she lived within in area, he would have set up another branch of his airport in some other part of New York.

He couldn't believe this!

Jason remained silent in the backseat, sulking and in just as horrible of a mood as his father. Jupiter didn't spare a glance back at him. He didn't need Jason making the connection between Thalia and himself. If he did, and it got out to the public, there would be hell for both him and Zeus to pay. His twin owned an assortment of different business, not focused solely on one. He was twice as wealthy, but he was out of the country more often as well.

"Jason," Jupiter spoke clearly. "I do not wish to hang around that young woman any longer." His son started to protest, but as usual Jupiter cut him off. "No excuses, son. She will be nothing but trouble for you and the industry. I will be keeping tabs on you. Do not dare disobey me, Jason."

Jason, for the first time in his life, took a strong stand against his father. "What do you mean, she's bad for the industry? She can mean no harm to the company, Dad! You're being ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?" Jupiter asked calmly, although rage bubbled in his chest. He parked in their large garage. "You are blind. You stay away from her, or else."

Before Jason could say anything more, his father stormed away from the car and stomped into the mansion. The blonde sighed heavily, already regretting every event of the day. Why was his father suddenly against Thalia? She had done nothing to him, and yet the man was going insane from his paranoia.

* * *

Percy rubbed his sore forehead, quickly accepting the glass of warm tea passed to him by his mother. She eyed him, obviously disapproving of his actions, and it only succeeded in making him feel worse. He had gotten a ride from Annabeth, thankfully, late in the night. He woke up in his bed with a painful hangover, though he hadn't thought he had drank that much.

Gabe Ugliano, his disgusting stepfather, suddenly stumbled from his bedroom. He rubbed the sleep from his beady eyes with his grubby hands, before he took a seat at the bar. "Sally!" he yelled, even though she was literately five feet from him. "I'm waiting on my breakfast."

"Here's a solution," Percy responded, infuriated. "Why don't you get off your fat ass and make it yourself for once? She's already busy with work, you know, something you fail to do."

Sally looked at her son desperately. "Percy, honey, don't—"

"No, woman," Gabe interrupted with a nasty snarl. "If the boy is going to disrespect me, in my goddamn house, he ought to stand up against me. Go on, punk! Get off your lazy ass."

"Percy," Sally repeated, her eyes watering over as she frowned at the dark-haired boy. "Please. Just apologize, baby."

Percy rose to his feet, wanting nothing more than to pound the bastard's face in. The man's sneaky breath ranked of whiskey, and his body odor could repel a skunk. His mother's pleading eyes haunted his angry thoughts, forcing them into the back of his mind. All fighting spirit fled from him, and he found himself once again apologizing to his bum of a stepfather.

Gabe flashed that arrogant, slimy grin, saying, "You learn some respect for me, Momma's boy."

Percy, holding back a retort, walked off to his bedroom. He moved the dirty clothes from the bed, plopping down onto his mattress face-first. The smell of cigars filled his nostrils, courtesy of Gabe. Thinking of a bed, led him to thinking of last night.

He and Thalia could have wound up kissing one another…or possibly doing more. He had rejected the offer, and she had certainly found it offensive that he would dare do such a thing. She had left angrily, and he hadn't seen her after that. Before the night was over, he had made his way back down the stairs and begged Annabeth to drive him home.

Last night was one of the worst nights he had ever had, and that was definitely saying something. He had wanted to spend more time with Thalia, and he had certainly taken some sort of romantic interest in her, but she had turned him down _first_. She didn't feel as he did, and she was indifferent with her rejection. If anything, he had every right to turn down her other offer…even if a large part of him hadn't wanted to.

Before Thalia had come back to school, he had heard horrible rumors about her. People had said that she was heartless, careless, a disrespectful rebel, and an obnoxious part animal. He didn't want to openly admit it to anyone, but last night at the party, that was the Thalia he had witnessed. She acted nothing like he thought she would. She had been so incredible, so…so _cool _before, but then she had seemingly gone back to her ways. He didn't get it. Didn't she want to change? After being in the juvenile system, wouldn't she want to do better and improve her life?

He shook his head. Did she have to be so confusing? Maybe he shouldn't have anything to do with her. She had made it quite clear that any friendship they might have had was destroyed last night and could never be restored. It was overdramatic, but it was true.

To make things even worse, he had to see her again on Monday. They shared common friends, so she was sure to eat lunch with them again. Had he been the cause of everything going to shit? Was he to blame? If he had been with her, maybe they would still be on good terms. He hated to lose a potential friend.

His door opened slowly, jolting him from his pointless thoughts. He lifted his face from the mattress to see his mother standing shyly in the doorway. He lifted himself from the bed, before sitting back down on the edge of it. He wanted to face her.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," she apologized sincerely, and it nearly broke his heart to hear it. She always apologized for Gabe, when the fat man should have been doing it himself. It sickened him how the man treated his lovely mother.

"You shouldn't be saying that," Percy argued quietly. "It's not your responsibility. He needs to do it for once."

"You and I both know he never will," she said sadly, sitting down next to him and patting his knee. "Is there anything on your mind, Percy? You seem stressed about something."

Percy shrugged. "I don't know. Kind of."

Sally smiled warmly, encouragingly. "Care to explain?"

"There's this girl," he stated.

"Oh, of course," she said, smiling knowingly.

"No, no," he assured, "it's not like that, Mom. It's just…well, we were starting to be friends. Then, we got into a big argument at the party last night. She left to who knows where, and I immediately got a ride home from Annabeth."

His mother frowned, rubbing his back in comfort. His mother's touch had always soothed him. "And, what was this argument about?"

He released a large breath of hair, playing with his fingers as he sat them in his lap. "It's hard to explain. I…I just mentioned that I wanted to get to know her better, and she started mocking the notion of developing anything more than a friendship with me."

"Well, do you like this girl?"

"That's the thing, Mom. I don't know if I do. But, I would sure like to find out," he said. "Even if it doesn't work out that way, I don't want to lose her friendship, you know? And, I've already managed to have that taken away. I just feel like such a screw-up."

Sally nodded in understanding, her brow laced with concern. "You aren't a screw-up, Percy. You know that very well. Now, if this girl doesn't want to be your friend, that isn't your problem. There are going to be people who don't like you."

"I want her to like me, though," Percy mumbled. "And, funny thing is, until late last night, I was pretty sure she did."

"Maybe you just need to wait it out," she suggested, trying to be helpful. "She might have a lot going on right now. She might be reluctant with friendships. You just need to be patient, Percy. Good things come to those who wait."

Percy sighed, but nodded, allowing his mother's advice to sink into his brain. When she left the room after kissing his cheek softly, he groaned and buried himself under his blankets. They had no aspirin in the house, but after speaking with his mother he found that he was finally able to rest again. Closing his eyes, he fell into a thankfully dreamless nap.


	8. Author's Note (To Be Removed Later)

**Hey there.**

**I know you all probably hoped this would be an update, and I'm sorry for this, but I'm putting this story on a short hiatus. I have other stories that I am currently writing that I have WAY more inspiration for right now, but I promise that I'll do my best not to abandon this story. I really didn't want to do this, but I made the decision to take a break from The Righteous and the Wicked and focus on other things. **

**So sorry for the disappointment, but I'll do my best to continue it sometime soon. If you have any suggestions you would like to make for this story, please feel free to leave a review explaining it or send me a PM if you would prefer.**

**Thank you for understanding, and if you aren't understanding…well, thanks anyway, for being a fan of the story.**

**-LubthaNiBriste**


End file.
